Blue Angel of Death
by InuKagomeLuver4Eva
Summary: Levy McGarden is named the Blue Angel of Death for one reason: She never misses her target. She has the rank of Elite Sniper and fits the description to a 'T'. But on one particular mission, she screwed up. Her mission was completed, but at what cost? Gajeel X Levy. Romance and action mostly. Rated M for violence and smut later on. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**So for now, I'm scrapping Simple Mission and creating a new one I had a dream about. The new one is more exciting yay! So, new story, scrapping old one, let's go!**

She waited silently, her breath almost inaudible. It had been hours, how many she didn't know; but one thing she did know was that this was a hard target. Every other mission was simple; eliminate the target and get out. Hundreds have been slain by her hand, but by no means was it innocent blood. Drug lords, criminals, low-life scum. She had done it all. There was no joy in her killing. It was a job that paid and paid well. A movement caught her eye and she glanced over to see a squirrel staring at her with a nut in its mouth. She flicked her hand and it scurried back into its tree without a second look. Huffing, the sniper looked through her scope once more. Every five minutes she checked to see if her target had arrived but so far no one had showed.

"Nobody's arrived yet. I've been out here all day, but I've only seen a squirrel and maybe a deer. Gajeel, can you hear me?" The intercom crackled before a deep, gravely voice came over.

"Yeah, yeah, I can hear ya. Quit yer whinin' and get back to scoping, Levy. He's probably walkin' away right now! Gihi." Levy released the button with a huff. Gajeel was her superior and an ass to boot. He was always cracking jokes about her being a shrimp, shorty, midget, etc. How he had gotten that promotion was beyond her. They had trained together in boot camp and while she merged off to the sniper branch, he took on a command post out of the city. They were reunited a few years later when Gajeel took over her former commanders spot due to him being corrupt. Ever since then, he's annoyed her every single day, and the bluenette has had just about enough of it.

Another movement caught her eye and she quickly shifted back to the scope, her eye making out a male figure.

"Got you, Wayabi." Wayabi was the head of an enormous drug trade operation that spanned more than five continents. It had taken months of research and tracking to finally narrow down his location. Her finger moved seamlessly over the safety before resting against the trigger. The figure had bodyguards surrounding him on all sides; they were twice as big as the drug lord himself. 'They won't stop this bullet from entering your head, Wayabi.' Levy thought with a smirk as she narrowed in on her target, finger itching to pull the trigger. She held her breath and steadied the shot, exhaling slowly as the sniper fired.

Although there was a silencer on the end, one of the body guards heard it and threw himself in front of Wayabi, alerting the others. "Shit, shit, shit!" She fired another round; another guard took the hit. Growling in frustration, she fired again and again, each time someone else taking the hit. Her gun clicked, alerting her it was empty. Her hand automatically reached for the spare clip and within seconds switched them out with nimble hands before looking down the sight. Wayabi was gone.

"God damnit! I almost had him!" Levy muffled a yell as she slammed her gun down, clenching her hair in her hands as her intercom buzzed loudly in her ear.

"Oi, Levy, did he show up yet? Yer runnin' out of time." Gajeel sounded annoyed.

"Damn bodyguards got in the way and I hit about every single one of them _except_ _Wayabi_. I'm going after him, don't come after me." He started protesting but the ear-com was disabled. Gajeel slammed it down onto the table before turning and grabbing his coat.

"Commander? Where are you going?" A private asked timidly to the towering man, twisting his fingers nervously as he waited for a response.

"To go get the damn shrimp!" The door slammed so hard the bolts on the hinges clattered to the floor and spun.

Levy had quickly shouldered her gun and made her way down from the old building top she had resided on. There was still a chance she could kill him, to end his reign of drug trade. Hopping down the stairs two at a time, she rushed to track Wayabi before he made his escape once more. Bursting through the old wooden door, she mazed her way around old, abandoned buildings. From her information, he was headed towards a landing zone where a helicopter would grab him if anything went south. The fridgid air made her lungs burn, but it was the least of her worries. If Wayabi got away, he wouldn't be seen again for months, possibly ever.

Snow began to fall softly as Levy darted between buildings, the gray skies giving off a gloomy atmosphere. Moving faster, Levy kicked in the doorway to an old, crumbling newspaper firm. Papers fluttered up from the floor as she made her way towards the roof hatch; she had laid out a back-up spot just in case something went wrong.

"It's all Gajeel's fault…" Levy muttered angrily as she climbed a rusted out ladder, the bars creaking under her weight. She heard a snap underneath her foot and launched herself towards a higher bar just as half the ladder broke off. It clattered to the floor and its sound was deafening. Cursing under her breath, the sniper hauled ass and nimbly leaped through the open roof panel. She could hear the chopper before it came into sight, the roar growing every second. The wind began to pick up, whirling the flurries around wildly. Chills ran down Levy's spine as she set up her gun once more, adrenaline pumping through her veins. This was her last shot at killing him; she couldn't afford to mess up.

As the helicopter neared, Levy lined up her shot, flicking off the safety. She didn't have to wait long; Wayabi's men lead the way, forming a tight circle around him as they shuffled to the landing chopper. The crosshairs followed Wayabi intently, waiting for the chance to strike. The chance appeared and Levy fired. A spray of blood flew from the drug lord's face and he went down, his guards scrambling to his aid.

"Gajeel, it's done, he's finally-!" The intercom buzzed as the signal failed to reach her commander. Again and again she pressed the button, panic rising in the back of her throat. "No, no, no! Answer the com, you asshole!" Static bounced around her head before she released the button. She was alone. And unlike all the criminals and crooks she's dealt with, she felt true fear.

Gajeel hauled ass to Levy's last known location, a few choice words itching to come out. It was never a good thing losing connection to a fellow soldier. It usually meant one of two things; they had been kidnapped and are being tortured or they were killed, unable to escape. He shook his head at the thought as he reached the old church she stationed herself. By now the snow had thickened, winds swirling the flakes into a storm. Gajeel shielded his eyes as he slipped through the doorway, the storm raging harder as he did. He made his way up the aged and creaking stairs, taking them two at a time. His foot hit the last step when he faintly heard a gunshot ring through the air.

"Shit, she moved position. I'm gonna strangle her when I find her!" Gajeel spun on his heel and jumped down the flights of stairs, his weight causing the stairs to groan loudly. He stopped at the doorway, the snow rushing into his face, the bitter cold biting at his face. Wrapping his coat tighter, Gajeel trudged through the snow to find Levy.

The bluenette sniper quickly put away her gun as a storm picked up, blowing snow violently around her. A chill ran down her spine as she hurried to find shelter. Her numbed fingers fiddled with the com in her ear, but the storm blocked all the other channels. With no means of communication available, Levy had to buckle down and find cover until the storm cleared. It was simple enough to do, but with the enemy so nearby, the chance of being found was still high. She was armed with other weapons of course, but how long would she last before slipping up and being killed? A shudder ran down her spine at the thought but quickly pushed it aside as she found a small spot underneath some stairs to hide. If her coat covered her, no one would be able to spot her unless she made a sudden move. Crawling on the dust caked floor, Levy pushed old boxes and books away to settle into the corner. She set the rifle against the corner, with the safety off just in case, and threw her coat over her petite frame before settling into the cold, musty corner.

It had been hours, or it at least felt that way to the bluenette, before a noise brought her out of her sleep. From a distance, it was a low rumbling, almost like thunder. As they got closer though, they turned into voices.

"That damn sniper has to be here somewhere. I'm gonna beat the shit out of 'im!" The first voice was male, possibly a younger one.

"Keep your voice down, they're probably in here somewhere. We're supposed to bring them back alive so Wayabi's son can deal with 'em." The second voice was a more gruff and deeper voice, probably an older, more experienced man. Levy lowered the coat slowly, watching the men enter through the doorway, a cold breeze rushing past them. A shiver ran up her spine as their heavy footsteps grew closer, her heart racing. Her hand slipped slowly towards the knife strapped snug against her leg, ready to engage in battle. One veered off to the corner opposite of her while the other stomped up the stairs. Layers of dust sprinkled down over Levy. Her coat caught most of it, but some of it made it past and onto her face. She covered her mouth with her hands right before she sneezed, muffling the sound. The men didn't notice as they continued to search the building.

"Oi, they were definitely set up here! Casings all over the floor. They had a direct line to the chopper. Must've known it'd be there." The second man stomped up the stairs after the first, the two investigating the scene. Levy shifted her body slowly, pulling the pistol she had hooked into the back of her pants out. If she could catch them off guard, she _might_ have a chance to take them both out. There was also the higher chance _they_ would get her first. While the two were upstairs arguing over how the sniper set everything up, Levy quietly snuck up the stairs, sticking to the wall as she slowly made her way up. She was just about to turn the corner when she heard a noise from behind. Her head whipped around to see the very annoyed face of Gajeel glaring at her.

"Oi, you little-" He stopped when he heard footsteps upstairs rushing towards them. Levy gave him a menacing look that would wither a normal person. Gajeel just blew it off before pulling his own gun and hiding up against the side of the sniper positioned herself around a corner in view of the ladder. It wasn't the best coverage, but it would have to suffice.

"Whoever's down there, come out now and we won't hurt you."

"Hey, don't promise that, dumbass. We have to rough them up for what they did to Hayabi."

Their footsteps reached the edge of the ladder and stopped. The silence was painful for Gajeel and Levy as they waited for the time to strike. The sound of a pin followed by a flash of silver promoted Levy to take action.

Diving for the grenade, Levy rolled as she grabbed it before landing in a crouch and throwing it back upstairs. The men scrambled but didn't make it far before it went off. The loud bang was deafening and the bluenette slapped her hands over her ears as smoke began to pour down the ladder like a river.

'Tear gas?!' The cloud stung like hell as tears streamed down Levy's face, her lungs burning as she took an involuntary gasp of air. She had gone through tear gas training as a private, but it still took her by surprise.

"Levy...watch...behind you!" Gajeel's voice cut through the ringing in her ears and she stumbled out of the way as the older, and much bigger, enemy jumped down from the second floor. Through her tear-filled eyes she could see him swing his fist in her direction. His fist barely grazed her cheek as she tilted her head at the last second, throwing his sense of balance off. Taking the chance, the bluenette swung her foot around and sent him tumbling down the stairs with a swift kick to the back of the knees. He may be three times her size, but she had speed on her side.

"Fuckin' cunt! You killed Wayabi!" Levy whirled around only to be met with a sharp pain in her stomach. Hot substance flowed down her front as her hands shakily felt her stomach, her hands becoming saturated.

"Levy, don't move!" A gunshot rang out and she watched as the smile on the man's face slowly slipped, a trickle of blood tracing down his face. His knees gave out and he fell over dead, leaving the knife inside Levy. She watched with no remorse as he lay dead in front of her, her senses returning to full strength. A hand laid on her shoulder; she didn't bother to look, she knew it was Gajeel.

"You gonna take that as a souvenir or you gonna pull it out?" Normally she'd glare at him for the cocky attitude, instead she looked down at the knife protruding from her abdomen. It was a basic issue blade from what she could tell, so the damage would be to a minimum. Grasping the handle, she pulled it out with one quick movement, blood spraying out in an arch. The knife clattered as it slid across the ground, resting to a stop a few feet away.

"I can handle this myself, Gajeel. Go search the bodies," Levy muffled as she tore her shirt sleeve with her mouth, quickly wrapping it tightly around her torso. The adrenaline pumping through her veins began to die off and a wave of pain coursed through her. Face scrunching up, she made her way back to her hideout beneath the stairs and gathered her sniper and coat. Gajeel grumbled as he searched the bodies, useless items thrown carelessly through the air.

"Oi, look at this." Levy squinted at the small card he held between his fingers. The word that stood out was _Zy-Com Inc._ The word ran through her mind before it finally clicked.

"That's the drug ring company Wayabi ran, the one that spans across continents."

"So they weren't just randomly hired bodyguards then. There's something else though," Gajeel pulled out a small vial of thick, green substance from an inside pocket. Levy studied it carefully, the ominous glow lighting up her face. No recollection of the substance crossed her mind.

"I wonder what it is…let's take it back to base for testing. Does your com work?" Gajeel shook his head.

"Storm's knocked out all communications. Just have to wait til it's over."

Levy nodded. Snow had begun to drift inside, piling up inside the doorway. "We'd better move upstairs. There's a room with an old fireplace in it, i'm sure we can light it." Making a move towards the ladder, a large figure blocked her way.

"Yer not goin' up that ladder with that wound. That's an order." Gajeel stood his ground, arms crossed, as his subordinate glared up at him. The stand-off lasted a few minutes until Levy gave in, shoulders dropping.

"Yes, sir."

Gajeel smirked down at her, the look on her face amusing him. While she had been busy wrapping her wound, he had set up a makeshift bed up against a wall. It wasn't the best, but with the storm raging on outside there was no way they were going anywhere for awhile. Gesturing to the wall, Levy huffed and settled down into the standard issue blanket, opting to sit up against the wall instead.

"On yer back, I'm gonna stitch up the wound so you don't bleed to death."

"I'm fine the way I am, thanks." There was bitterness in her voice but Gajeel could tell it was to cover up the pain she was in. In a flash he grabbed her leg and pulled her flat, lifting her shirt up as well. A deep blush covered Levy's face as she pulled her shirt down to a more modest level.

"H-hey, I said I'm fine-!"

"Shut it."

Levy placed her hands over her petite chest as Gajeel pulled out a small med kit. He tossed a small chunk of cork at her to bite into while he soaked a piece of cloth with alcohol. Biting down into it, she gave a small nod and he began. The second the liquid hit, her jaw clenched down hard, her hands clenching the blankets tightly. A burning sensation coursed through her abdomen and a muffled yell emitted through the cork chunk. It seemed to last an eternity, but at last it calmed down to a dull pulsing sensation.

"Gihi, yer a tough little shrimp, aren't ya?"

Levy muffled a few words that sounded like curse words, but Gajeel blew it off as he threaded the needle. Before Levy could smack him, the needle pierced her skin and she bit down again. The pain wasn't so bad now so she spit out the cork and smirked when it smacked the commander in the face. He tightened his lips but continued on with his work.

"The wound didn't hit anything major, so you'll be fine. Don't fuck up so much next time, gihi."

"You're a real ass, you know that, right? I could've handle everything on my own, just so you know." Levy snatched the bottle of alcohol resting beside her and chugged a good portion before it was yanked away.

"Oi, since when do you drink anymore? Thought your party days were long gone." Gajeel asked as he took a swig from the bottle as well, draining the warming liquid.

"To deal with you I need to be practically drunk. Besides, we'll be here for awhile. I doubt the storm will let up any time soon."

The two reminisced about old times; from when they grew up together in the same neighborhood, to prom in high school, even when they both enlisted into the Army. There were good and bad times, times when Gajeel had beaten up Levy's prom date because he left her for another girl or Levy had rushed to his aid with chinese food when his girlfriend cheated on him. The two were as close as could be, despite their appearances. Gajeel was almost twice her size with long wild black hair and piercings all over his face and body. His eyes were a deep maroon that always seemed menacing, even when he was calm. Some say he was built like a tank, with muscles bulging underneath his uniform. Needless to say, he stayed dedicated to his workouts, always pushing himself to the limits. Levy, on the other hand, was small and petite, looking barely capable of hurting a fly. Her short azure colored hair was always pushed back with a headband, showing off her honey colored eyes. Little did people know, she was a master of tactician. Her plans were always accurate and very rarely wrong. She had become a master sniper by using her skill to plan and execute her kills. Never once had she failed. People also looked down on her because of her size. True she was petite and flat-chested, but anybody that dared to mess with her usually got a fist to the face thanks to Gajeel.

"You know…" Levy started, popping Gajeel's train of thought.

"Eh?"

"Didn't it ever seem odd how well we work together? I mean, even from when we were kids, we just sort of clicked."

"Tsk, what's got you so sentimental all of a sudden?" Levy puffed her face up at the remark. She was cut off before she could protest. "I can't explain it either, but it doesn't matter dwelling on it." He stood with a grunt and brushed his pants off. He looked outside and noticed the storm had stopped.

" _Redfox to base, I need EVAC at this location: 45-13-79. McGarden is wounded, requesting a medic."_

" _Confirmed Redfox, ETA 15 clicks, medic on hand. Over and out."_

"I'm going to scope the area outside, sit put." Gajeel was gone before Levy could even sit up. Sighing, the bluenette stared at her hands folded in her lap. Whenever it came to emotional stuff Gajeel always had an excuse to get away from it. Those conversations never came up again.

' _I just wish we could have a serious conversation for once…'_

By the time Levy snapped out of her thoughts, a medic had placed a hand on her shoulder.

"McGarden, let's get you to the helicopter, can you stand?"

"Yes." Levy stood, shakily at first, and was escorted by the arm to the waiting chopper. Gajeel was talking to another soldier off to the side, deep in conversation. Other soldiers were stationed around the helicopter as Levy was loaded up, weapons up. The master sniper was sat propped up on the gurney, IV lines piercing into her veins. Painkillers rushed through her veins and she gave a sigh of relief. As the two medics went to work inspecting the stitch work, her eyes trailed out the door window and met with piercing red ones. Gajeel rarely ever showed emotion, but there was no denying it this time; anguish filled his eyes. But they soon returned to emotionless as he turned away, not noticing the tears welling up in Levy's eyes.

The helicopter began to take off, the propellers whirling the weightless snow into a large tornado that covered everything. Closing her eyes Levy let the drugs do their work and a single thought crossed her mind before the sleep took her.

' _Gajeel...why won't you open up to me?'_

 **It's super hard for me to tell how many words are in the document because I'm typing it on a tablet document. SO much more portable and faster than my 4 year old laptop. I'll get started on chapter 2 right away!**


	2. Chapter 2

I'm back for another chapter! So on a random note, I found my old Fairy Tail story and realized I never got past chapter 1! I'll get to it probably after this story, but for now onto chapter 2!

Gajeel watched as the helicopter took off, taking Levy with it. He was relieved that she was getting the medical attention she needed, but at the same time he saw how she was looking at him as she left. It was a look of confusion and hurt. His gaze averted after a few seconds, locking down the emotion that seeped through. It may not have seemed like it, but it deeply bothered him that she got hurt while he was there. He needed to let off some steam.

"Oi, Sergeant O'Garro, scope the area and see if you can find any evidence. Gather blood samples from each of the bodies you find and report back to me asap." Sergeant O'Harro snapped a salute before taking some of his men to search the bodies. Gajeel ran a hand through his hair. Levy had accomplished her mission all right, but she was careless. Through their last transmission, she had gotten careless; her anger took over and she fired recklessly, not hitting her target in one clean shot.

"Damnit, Levy. What the hell got you so riled up? You never fuck up like this…" The commander's thoughts were interrupted as another medic cleared their throat.

"Commander, we've taken some blood samples from them and there's already something off about them. Green particles seem to be floating within the regular blood, but they aren't merging. We'll take it back to the lab for further testing." The young woman held up a vile of blood with the green substance swirling around.

"Good job, Sergeant Butler. Report to me what you find out. Take this with you as well." He tossed her the vial he found on one of the men earlier, giving her a quick salute as she left.

A chill blew through the air, but it didn't faze Gajeel in the least. Unlike other soldiers, the elements never really bothered him. His thick skin aided against both weather and attacks. Some of the men even nicknamed him Black Steel Gajeel due to his toughness. Levy, on the other hand, was nicknamed Blue Angel of Death. Her pinpoint accuracy and flawless record got the troops tossing around names for her. Not many people call her that when she's around; anyone who's tried ends up face-first on the ground. She never thought of it as an insult, she just wanted people to think it invoked her fury.

Gajeel snickered at the thought of Levy being menacing. True, she was deadly when it came down to it, but apart from that she was an extreme bookworm who always tried to get her hands on a new book. A brand new office was built just for her from the higher ups when she became the first female Elite Sniper. Every inch of wallspace was filled with books; when the bookshelves were full, they were piled all over the floor and on her desk. Gajeel could barely walk into the room without knocking over at least half a dozen waist-high piles of books. Somehow her office always seemed organized, even with the hundreds of books lying around.

A buzzing noise in his ear snapped him out of his thoughts as he pressed a finger to the button.

"What is it?" He snapped.

"Sir, we're searching the bodies as you said, but they...well, I don't know how to put this…" O'Garro muttered off, unsure of how to find the right words to use.

"Spit it out, Sergeant!"

"Sir, the bodies are dissolving. We're watching them turn into puddles of flesh-colored goop." Gajeel released the button, confusion furrowing his brows. He told them to stay put and trudged through the foot or so of snow towards their location. The doorway was blocked by soldiers hoping to catch what was going on. Gajeel cleared his throat and they snapped to attention, lining up on both sides of the doorway.

"O'Garro, you'd better not be fuckin' with me right now-" The stench of rotting flesh hit his nose and he stumbled back. A large, putrid pile of burning flesh replaced the bodyguards corpse that was solid not even half an hour ago. Placing his hand over his mouth and nose he made his way around the puddle, noticing O'Garro heaving in the back corner.

"Shit, you weren't pullin' my leg. If this is rotting, then the blood sample-" His intercom buzzed in his ear, another report coming in.

"Commander Redfox, the blood sample, it's dissolved! The green substance in the vial is eating the blood!" Sergeant Butler sounded panicked over the com, causing Gajeel to stop in his tracks.

"What about the vial with just the green substance? Is it still there?"

Butler hesitated before answering. "Yes, sir. We have it locked up for the time being, just in case it does something similar to the first vial. We will continue testing for now. Over and out."

Gajeel clenched his jaw. Wayabi had planned ahead for this; he was one cunning bastard, that's for sure. It was an easy way to get rid of any leftover evidence. A scowl settled on his face as the remains of the body dissolved into nothing.

"O'Garro, go search East of here and see if you can recover Wayabi's blood from their LZ. There has to be something we can recover." O'Garro finished heaving and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Y-yes, sir. Move out!"

Once the room was cleared, Gajeel slammed his fist into the wall, breaking the aged wood with ease. Anger coursed through his veins as his jaw clenched. Levy had been injured and there were no clues to finding out where Wayabi's hideout was. Another thing that bothered him was that one of the men had said the drug lords son had wanted whoever killed his father.

'So the family tradition keeps on fucking going. The higher-ups are going to love this…'

A blanket of warmth wrapped around her body like a cocoon, holding her tight and feeding her comfort. She snuggled in deeper, never wanting to leave the warm embrace. There was no pain here; no bad memories coming back to haunt her every aching second. For once she wanted just peace and quiet, to relax without worry.

"Oi, you can't sleep forever ya know." Levy wrinkled her face in annoyance. She knew he wouldn't go away easily. Letting out a groan, she rolled the other way, hoping he would give up and leave her be.

"I know you can hear me, Levy. I'll pour this bucket full of nice, cold, refreshing water over you until you-"

"Fine, you ass…" Levy grumbled as she emerged from the comfortable warmth and back into reality. She cracked her eyes open and immediately shut them once more, the bright lights sending pain to her head. It took her a few more tries, but she finally managed to adjust to the bright florescent lights.

"Gihi, mornin' there, princess. You've been sleepin' for two days now." Gajeel watched with amusement as Levy's eyes fully opened and she struggled to sit up, her hand resting over her wound. "Relax, it's only been a day. Don't strain yourself,"

"Hard not to with you…" Levy muttered as she scooted back to rest in an upright position. She looked around the room and noticed she was in her own suite. "Royal treatment?"

"The government wants to make sure their Blue Angel of Death is nice and comfortable while recovering." Gajeel snickered as she swung at him, easily dodging the attack. "You've always been pretty feisty, even when injured."

"Don't you have anything better to do than to bother me? Shouldn't you be investigating the drug lord's company?" Levy pelted him with question after question, not giving him enough time to answer. He couldn't take it any more; he slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Worry about yer self, will ya? I'll handle the case while you're recovering. Don't even think about trying to sneak back into the mission. So help me I will beat your ass!" The two had a staredown before Levy cracked first. Tears streamed down her face as she laughed, arms over her stomach. Gajeel snickered as she tried to compose herself, only to fall victim to the contagious laughing himself. "Y-you're such a tough guy! Beating up a woman? I could take you on any time, Gajeel. Give me a day to heal and I'll be back in action!" Levy grabbed her upper arm and flexed, feeling better with every second. Gajeel scoffed at her attempt and flexed his own arm, enjoying as her smile turned into a scowl.

"Like you could ever beat me! You're on, shrimp!" The two fell into another fit of laughter before finally calming down.

Levy wiped the tears from her eyes as she watched Gajeel lean back in his chair, placing his large boots on the bed.

"Hey, Gajeel?" A grunt was her only reply, prompting her to continue. "About what I said earlier…" Gajeel cracked an eye open and stared at her with a brow raised.

"What about it?"

"Well, it's just that...I've been thinking...about what I said and how well we click together and always have…" Her words trailed off as she judged his expression with worry. She knew he would probably just avoid the question again, like he did back at the old building. "Actually, nevermind, it doesn't matter anymore."

"Say what you're gonna say, I'm listen'." Gajeel closed his eye and laid back, arms above his head. Whatever she was going to say didn't worry him too much. It was probably something minor, like she was going to say how well they worked together.

Levy took a deep breath to calm herself. When she opened her mouth to speak, the door suddenly burst open and a distressed looking soldier came in.

"C-commander, news from the lab-!"

"What? What do you want?" Gajeel looked at the private upside down, a sneer on his lips. The private trembled under the angry red glare, fiddling with his hands.

"I-it's just...they've found out something in the lab and they n-need you in there…" The poor private couldn't even finish his sentence before Gajeel shoved him out of the way and stomped down the hallway, forcing people to flatten themselves against the wall to avoid his wrath. Levy gave an apologetic smile to the frightened private.

"He may seem cold-hearted, but it's all a show." The private gave a small smile before tearing out of the room, leaving the bluenette all alone. Levy sighed. Gajeel always put up this show of cold-heartedness in front of his men, but to Levy, he was himself. He constantly teased her for being short, no matter the situation. Always cracking jokes, making her laugh. He always had her back covered, even when she didn't realize it.

A thought fluttered across her mind, only briefly, but it sent her heart pounding. They'd always been together; through good and bad times, combat zones, even earlier when he came to rescue her. She shook her head at the thought. There was no way it was true...was it?

"There's no way… I just can't… am I falling in love with Gajeel?"

Gajeel burst through the door to the labs, startling the newer people will the experienced ones just twitched their eyes towards him.

"Butler, what are the results?" Sergeant Butler popped her head around the corner and motioned for him to come. Once around the corner, Butler motioned for him to be silent as she stood in front of a testing room.

"We've injected the rat with a small amount of the green substance. We'll kill it off now-" She flicked a switch to her right and a blast of air shot through the rat's head, killing it instantly. "Now watch what it does to the body."

Gajeel crossed his arms and leaned in, watching for any signs of decomposition. MInutes passed by and the rats body did nothing.

"If yer wastin' my time…"

"Just watch." Sergeant Butler responded tartly, eyes focused on the rat. Another few minutes passed before a small stream of smoke began to rise from the corpse. Moments later it began to dissolve into a puddle.

"So if you're injected with this green stuff, your body dissolves after you die?" Gajeel asked, brow raised. Butler nodded.

"It attacks the blood cells and duplicates at a massive rate. It duplicates so fast it releases a lot of heat from the friction, thus causing the body to turn into a giant puddle. There is currently no way to retrieve DNA from the test subjects. The slime dissolves everything," The medic sounded distressed as she turned her attention to Gajeel. His eyes stayed locked-on to the pile of pink goop, mind jumbled.

"Has anyone else found out something? Anything? I don't care if it's a single hair! We need to find every clue we can to find Wayabi's son and his headquarters. We should've taken him alive, tortured him until he gave us answers." Butler placed a hand on his shoulder, a comforting gesture.

"I know how it feels, Gajeel, but we need to be patient and plan things out. We can't be reckless and barge into a situation that could get us killed. Please," He finally turned his eyes away from the rat and looked into her chestnut eyes, tenderness overflowing from them. "If you won't do it for yourself, then do it for Levy. I know you care a lot about her and it pains you to see her injured. Besides, a mother knows what's best for her children." She ruffled his hair before gliding past him to another section of the lab. Gajeel stood there for a moment before scoffing and smoothing his wild locks back down.

"Do it for Levy, huh?"

I know these chapters are kinda short, but I feel like if I keep pushing them further, it'll just drag on and on. So onto chapter 3 next! Once my drawing gets better, there will be a little manga to go with!


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm back! Yay! So last chapter, Levy had a flashback to when she and Gajeel had their last big fight. In the end, Gajeel chose to stay with Levy instead of going to his girlfriend's. Looking back, Levy noticed how he took care of her without complaint and was actually kind about it too. But when she went into Gajeel's office after leaving the infirmary, her mind plays tricks on her and she ends up passed out on the floor. Is it a sign she should try to form more than her friendship with Gajeel? Or is it due to the stress of not being able to confess to him? Find out!**

"Gajeel, I've got the plans for today's mission. Gajeel?" Knocking softly on the door, Levy got no response. She knocked a little louder with the same result. Cautiously she turned the handle, curious as to why it wasn't locked. "Gajeel?" Her hand scrambled for the wall switch and she shielded her eyes for a moment until they adjusted.

The office was empty. Frowning, the bluenette made her way to his desk, plopping the file in the center. Most of the time he was in here doing the mountains of paperwork, but other times he just disappeared with no word.

"I wonder if he's in the training room…" Levy turned to leave when a familiar handwriting caught her attention. Her heart thumped painfully as she grabbed the envelope with shaking hands. There was no way, they hadn't talked to each other in _years_...Looking quickly at the doorway, Levy shut the door and locked it. This was an invasion of privacy, but she didn't care. The chair groaned slightly as she sat down, the envelope in her hands. Doing one last door check Levy slowly took the letter out of its shell.

Her handwriting was impeccable, to say the least. Every movement of the pen was like a gently flowing river on the paper, surprising Levy. Her eyes quickly scanned through the letter while chewing on her nails. So far there was nothing to worry about, but Levy wasn't convinced. Towards the end though, was a sentence that stopped her cold. _It was fantastic hearing from you, Gajeel, maybe we could catch up again sometime?_

"You can't be serious….after all that shit, he wants to go through it again?!" She clamped a hand over her mouth, realizing she was too loud. Replacing the letter, Levy left everything the way it was before quickly leaving the office. Her fists shook at her sides; how could he be stupid enough to go through with that again? He had said years ago he was completely done with her. But yet he was writing her letters? "Unbelievable! Gajeel, I'm going to kill you!" Levy seethed under her voice, anger fueling her legs. Out of the three places he could be hiding, one was the gym and the other was the sparring room. She rounded the corner and smacked into something hard, sending her sprawling to the ground.

"Oh, sorry, Levy, didn't see you down there!" It was Elfman, Mira's younger brother. He offered a hand and she took it, dusting off her pants.

"No worries, Elfman. Have you seen Gajeel anywhere?"

Elfman scratched his head in thought before crossing his arms, shaking his head. "Haven't seen him in awhile. He's not in the gym; I was just in there. Have you checked the sparring room? He was stressed out about something so he might've gone to blow off some steam."

"Thanks, Elfman, I'll go check!" Levy waved him goodbye before jogging down the hallway towards the sparring room. Not many people used the room, it was just easier to do it outside with more space, but for close combat practice it was perfect. She could hear grunts and curse words coming through the door before she reached for the handle. Sliding the door open, it revealed two Special Ops members wrestling.

"Sorry to bother, have you two seen Gajeel? Not in his office or the gym." One of them looked up, blowing the scarlet hair from their eyes.

"Sorry, Levy, haven't seen him lately. Maybe try the cafeteria?" Levy nodded and closed the door.

"Have fun with Jellal, Erza! Just don't kill him." Levy called through the door as she walked away, only receiving a grunt as a reply.

Where the hell was he? If he wasn't in either of those spots, she could check one more place before giving up on him. Her anger had subsided a bit since being knocked flat on her ass, but it still boiled within her. Gajeel was going to get an ear-full when she found him! After a few minutes of going up stairs and down corridors, Levy finally arrived. This section of the building was under construction and currently the workers were off for the weekend.

"Gajeel, I know you're up here! Get your ass out here now!" Levy yelled through the empty halls, her echo yelling back at her. There was silence for a few moments she heard something get knocked over. Beelining for the room it came from, Levy prepared to rip the door open when a female voice came from inside.

"Can't you keep it down? She'll figure out where we're at!" That voice. Levy knew that voice. Her steps faltered and she came to a stop a foot from the door.

"Oi, what's the deal with you? Get yer hands off of me-!"

"Gajeel, I love you and I want you back in my life. I've felt so empty without you by my side. Please, come back to me." Abby cooed seductively, earning a distressed grunt from Gajeel. Levy's heart panged painfully; so he _did_ still love her. She should've known better, even though it had been years since the breakup, Levy always knew there was still a small part of him that loved her. Tears threatened to fall as she turned and ran, stumbling on a piece of plastic lying on the floor. She quickly caught herself and flew down the stairs, desperate to get away from them. It was obvious Gajeel had changed his mind once the two reconnected through letters once more. After helping him cope through the major breakup, it was all for naught?

'Stupid Gajeel! I trusted you!' Levy thought as she ran past fellow soldiers towards the locker rooms. her fists clenched with resolve. 'If he's going to be this way, then I'll take back control of the mission!'

It didn't take long for her to put on her specialized gear, tightening the her favorite pistol to her thigh. In her hurry, a book fell from her locker and fell open on the floor. Levy reached down and grabbed it, her fingers tracing over the title _Enchanted_. She had borrowed it from Lucy's cafe and never had the chance to return it to the blonde. She'd lost count of how many times she read, fascinated with the world of magic and fun. There was a guild in there named Fairy Tail that struck her as a fun and loving place to be apart of. There were times when she wanted to escape reality so she'd pull out that book and be pulled into it, placing herself in the world. She considered herself to be the _Solid Script Mage_ type; one that writes using a light pen to create spells out of thin air. Being the avid bookworm she was, she was drawn to that personality type as if it were natural. Some of her friends fit the personalities in the book perfectly as well; Erza fit the strong heroin type that still had a girly side. Elfman was the strong Take-Over mage that protected his siblings. And Gajeel….Levy had found the fit for him. The arrogant and cocky character that had a quiet and loner side as well. Acts all tough in front of other people but is actually caring and protective to those close to him. Levy found the page the description was on and traced the sentence, lost to her thoughts.

"McGarden, we need you at Black Hawk 17 for takeoff in 5 clicks," The intercom in her ear startled her back to reality and she gently placed the book in her back, taking it as a comfort item. She knew she was about to enter a war-zone and that was no chance for mistake, but just having the book on her calmed her down for the most part. Heaving her high-powered rifle over her petite frame, she took a deep breath and made her way to the helicopter, hoping she would make it back alive.

Gajeel shoved the woman before him off, sending her crashing to the floor. Abby had been sending him letters, trying to reconcile after so many years. He had just gotten the letter today and soon after she showed up. She looked exactly the same as she did 3 years ago; Short, choppy black hair with matching makeup complimented her pale complexion while piercings decorated her face, the light reflecting from them. She was wearing the torn and tattered shirt Gajeel had gotten her from a Skizer concert, matching it was a short plaid shirt. The fishnet stockings were missing, but she had replaced them with knee-high socks and chunky metal studded boots.

"What the hell do you think yer doin' here? How did you find me?" Gajeel crossed his arms and watched as she picked herself up from the floor, dusting off her behind. She blew a piece of hair from her face before staring back.

"What's wrong with meeting up with an old friend? It's been a few years, Gajeel, why don't we talk for _awhile?_ " She purred out, reaching for his face. It was smacked away instantly, anger flaring around Gajeel.

"The _fuck_ do you mean, talk for awhile? I'm a fucking Commander and I ain't got time for the likes of you! I'll have a soldier escort you out. Don't _ever come here again_." Gajeel put a threat behind his words, watching her eyes change slightly.

"If that's what you want, then fine. My job's done anyways," Abby shoved him aside and made it to the door before she was spun around and slammed against the door, arm in her throat.

" _The fuck did you just say_?" Abby smirked at him, a laugh escaping her throat.

"You didn't notice, did you? Levy was outside the doorway and heard everything. I wonder how she'll take it? Knowing that you weren't there to save her this time." Gajeel let out a dangerous growl as he came inches from her face, anger radiating off of him in waves.

"What did you do, Abby?"

"It's called payback, Gajeel. And it's about to hit _hard_. There's no saving her now, her aircraft is being targeted as we speak. Besides, you won't make it there at _all_!" A flash of silver shot from her pocket and Gajeel barely dodged as a blade graced the skin of his throat. He grabbed her wrist and twisted hard before spinning her around and pinning it behind her back. She kicked a leg out in response and caught him on the knee, faltering his stance and giving her the chance to retaliate. A fist collided with his face and he quickly grabbed her other hand, leaving her half crippled. Her leg swung around again but Gajeel countered with his knee to her stomach.

"Gah!" Spit flew from her mouth at the impact, knocking the wind from her. Gajeel yanked a pair of cuffs from his back pocket and snapped them onto her wrists and moved onto her feet, tying them together.

"Yer not goin' anywhere, Abby. This is Commander Redfox, recall McGarden's flight _immediately_! Code Alpha Tango Foxtrot 0976. I repeat, Code Alpha Tango Foxtrot 0976. Abort that mission!" Gajeel yelled into his com, heart pounding in his chest. If that aircraft was being targeted, it had some defensive measures, but it wasn't enough to hold on for long.

" _Commander Redfox, this is Sergeant Major Scarlet, we've had no success in reaching Black Hawk 17, I repeat, no contact to McGarden's team was successful! Sending backup to assist, over. ETA 3 clicks. Commander, what is your next order?"_ Erza sounded urgent over the com, awaiting her next orders. Gajeel froze; nobody would get there in time to save her. She was probably at least 10 clicks out, maybe even longer. He glanced at his watch, noting it hadn't quite been twenty minutes since Abby had dragged him in there.

"Scarlet, hit the alarms, lock down this base! Nobody leaves, nobody enters! Send out Special Ops to track down McGarden's squad and report back immediately! I've got a suspect up here in the construction wing, room 3. They're planning to blow up that flight!"

Gajeel could hear Erza yelling to assemble her team, the chatter over the com going wild. He clicked it off and turned back to his now prisoner. "Yer gonna fuckin' pay for this!"

Abby just cackled on the floor, rocking back and forth. "It's too late, Gajeel. Wayabi's son will have his revenge soon, starting with that damn blue faerie!"

A shot rang out and the smile from Abby's face fell as her head lolled to the ground, blood trickling from her forehead. Gajeel cursed as he put his pistol away, kicking the body with disgust. "Cancel that prisoner thing, she is KIA. She pissed me off. Status on Levy's mission?"

" _Gajeel…"_ Erza started, her voice cracking. _No, no, no, no, no…_ Gajeel thought as he braced himself for what was next. " _Black Hawk 17 is down...we just got the report. There were 6 men and Levy on board...I'm so sorry, Gajeel…"_ Erza broke down in tears over the com, voices trying to comfort her. Gajeel stood rooted to the spot. He didn't get there in time….how long had she been gone? Why didn't he notice her outside the door? He shouldn't have agreed to meet Abby, he should've just waited for Levy in his office. A thought hit him; he had left the letter sitting on his desk. What if she had gotten into it and that's why she came looking for him? She was the only one that knew about his secret location.

"Gajeel! Hey, where are you?! It's a shit-storm, we need you to the control room!" The familiar voice of Natsu brought him from his thoughts as the door slammed open, revealing Levy's childhood friend. Shortly after he and Levy joined, Natsu joined, but ended up going to a different branch. Lucy had shut down the cafe and followed suit, becoming a communications expert while Natsu earned the rank of Sergeant, even having a few men under his control.

Natsu took a quick look at Abby before grabbing Gajeel and tearing from the room, his hand clamped down tight on his arm.

"O-Oi, Salamander, hold up-." He shut his mouth as he noticed Natsu shaking hard, his steps unsure.

"She might still be alive, we have to check! Erza is already on her way to...to where…" Natsu couldn't finish his sentence, only looking away as his shoulders shook. It finally hit Gajeel; there was a chance she was gone forever, slipping out of his grasp like water from a stream. He felt hollow inside; without Levy his life was meaningless. She was always there for him and vice versa, but if she was truly gone...he'd never admit to it, but a single tear slid down his cheek.

The ETA to get to the location was growing shorter and shorter, causing Levy to become more nervous. She hadn't told Gajeel where she was going and knew he'd be worried about her. Her hand covered her mouth as she coughed, her head slightly fuzzy. Standing in the cold water for so long had gotten her sick, but she had to keep moving; she didn't have a choice. Wayabi was her target and she had to continue fighting the ladder down to the ground, eliminating each and every member contributing to the drug ring.

A tap on her shoulder drew her attention to one of the Sergeant's under her care.

"Captain, we've got incoming signals from base but they can't get through. The radio's fine, just tuned, but we've lost connection." Levy nodded. It meant they were stranded; no help would arrive until too late. Levy unhook her harness and moved towards the pilot, re clipping her harness to a closer hook.

"How much further?" She yelled to be heard over the sound of the propellers, barely able to hear her own voice. The pilot glanced back at her.

"ETA 25 MIKES, Captain! Radio interference, but should clear up soon!" Levy patted his shoulder and returned to her spot, ensuring she was safely secured. Her legs dangled out of the open door, swinging with the winds; her legs were too short to rest on the foot bar anyways. She rested her head against the frame and let the cold air clear her mind. Nothing but worries flooded her mind and they were getting in the way. Everything from not telling Gajeel, to being able to finish this mission alive. Looking back, she studied each soldier's faces carefully; they were all so young, including Levy who was a mere 22, but unlike her they all had families waiting for them to come back. Wives worried sick each night as they thought the worst; young children who wouldn't understand why their father wasn't coming back, never understanding he died. Parents having to wonder when the day would come when they had to bury their _child_.

Levy shook her head, her emotions bubbling up inside of her. She was orphaned when she was very young, but she had an adoptive family that took her in, cared and loved her as she grew. They were so proud when she enlisted, tears running down their faces as they hugged her tightly. Natsu and Lucy were there too, crushing her in an embrace as all three of them cried. She kept in contact with all of them while going through basic, Gajeel never too far from her. In a way, he was her guardian angel. Well, _far_ from an angel, but regardless, he was always there to watch over her.

A sudden jerk smacked her head into the frame, a curse escaping her lips. The helicopter tilted sharply and Levy held onto her cable, bracing her legs on the floor pegs.

"Hang on!" The pilot yelled as he jerk the stick hard, the aircraft almost sideways now. Levy's bag slid across the floor and she lunged for it, her fingertips barely the frayed strap. Alarms blared through the cabin as a missile shot by, the heat of it almost burning the bluenette's face. They took a sharp dive as another one blared by, the searing heat entering the cabin.

"Mackle, your rope!" Private Mackle's rope had begun to fray, the strings bursting apart. The others were too far to reach as he slid out the opening, rope straining. Levy quickly detached from her hook and practically flew towards him, clipping her rope to the nearest hook to Mackle.

"Captain, what are you doing?!" Mackle screamed as he watched the bluenette tie the end of her rope to his belt, working quickly.

"You've got a family waiting for you at home, Mackle, make it back to them alive!" Levy yelled as she tied the last knot, giving it a firm tug. The helicopter tilted the other way and everyone braced themselves once more. Levy snapped the hook into place and unclipped her belt, throwing it out the door. The rope handles hanging from the roof would be enough for her to hang onto as the pilot dodged more oncoming missiles.

"BRACE FOR IMPACT!" The man grasped onto each other and Mackle reached out for Levy when the first missile struck. The tail of the helicopter exploded violently, the aircraft losing balance and power. The impact flung Levy violently, her fingers scrambling to hold onto something. She felt her body floating and panicked as her team watched in horror. Time slowed as Levy watched the chopper go down, spinning rapidly. The cold air pierced through her clothes as she fell quickly towards the ground, her death imminent. With her hair flinging wildly around her, she slowly closed her eyes and curled inward, protecting her organs. Memories flashed through her mind as she fell, everything from her childhood to just moments ago.

" _Levy, don't give up! Yer stronger than this!"_ Gajeel's voice urged to her, an image of him appearing in her mind. His fists were clenched in front of him as he urged her on, pushing her to be strong. Levy's eyes opened up, the bitter cold bringing tears to them. 'That's right,' Levy thought. 'Gajeel was always rooting me on, giving me the courage to push past any obstacle. I need courage now, Gajeel!' Hope flooded through her body as she reached for emergency parachute, yanking the cord hard. With a _fwoosh_ , the chute wormed it's way from the slim pack on her back before expanding, yanking her petite body skyward. Her hands grabbed onto the ropes and she looked up to see the ropes twisted; she had to act quickly. The ground was rapidly approaching and her chute wasn't properly deployed. Levy grabbed the knife from her pocket and sliced through the ropes, throwing off the balance of the chute and spinning her body rapidly. The ground was growing closer and she was running out of time. The blade finally cut through and her chute was carried away by the wind.

The bluenette heard the snap before the pain coursed through her body. a scream erupted from her mouth as her body spasmed violently. A deep cough spewed blood all over the snow coated ground, staining it deep red. She could feel pain everywhere but it was hard to pinpoint what she had broken. Adrenaline kicked in and she started to go into shock, her body becoming still. Her eyelids began to droop, vision blurring.

'Is this it? Gajeel…'

 **Oh dang, serious chapter. Damn Abby, such a bitch! And a spy. Okay, chapter five is in the works! At some point I'll draw a manga to go with, but I have to relearn how to draw fingers...and feet….and well, bodies lol**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm back! I've been cranking these out like crazy! Sorry if they seem short, it's hard to tell on my tablet how long it is. I try to make it at least 3,000 words or so. Onto the next chapter!**

The base was a flurry of high-ranking officers, commanders, even Makarov, the head of the Special Ops branch made an appearance. He was a stout older man who hardly seemed capable of this line of work, but he was once the deadliest soldier of his time. Everyone lined up for attention as he burst through the door, the bang echoing loudly in the carrier bay.

"Someone _explain_ to me what in the hell happened?" His voice boomed at the men and women standing at arm, some flinching. Gajeel clicked his heels together and saluted. "McGarden initiated her mission without my consent and left approximately an hour ago, Makarov sir!" Most people were relaxed and called each other by their first names, but because of his high ranking, Makarov was treated with the utmost respect. But this time was an exception.

"Don't give me damn formalities, tell me what happened to Levy's team! Why was it shot out of the sky?!" Makarov was _furious_. Not about the fact that Levy had initiated her mission without consulting her commander first, but the fact that her helicopter had been attacked out of nowhere.

"The drug lord she killed last week apparently has a son that's out for revenge. He sent a spy in here to alert me of that fact. I didn't know...I would've stopped her if I had known-!" Gajeel was silenced with a hand.

"It's not your fault, Gajeel. I need you to go with Erza's team and take Sergeant Dragoneel along with. Search and rescue then report back to me immediately." Without another word, the high ranking officer turned and walked out, his assistant Wendy hurrying behind. The second the doors closed the hangar went into a flurry; people were scrambling to get teams assembled and dispatched. Erza had a more stealthy aircraft awaiting at the edge of the doors, firing up for takeoff. Gajeel shouted orders to his underlings, sending them every which direction. Natsu was sitting on a bench in the far corner, hands on his head as his legs shook nervously. He was never good at controlling his emotions, especially in times of crisis. Most of the time it was anger; he considered all of his friends family and anyone who dared to hurt them was instantly beaten to a pulp. Gajeel couldn't recall how many times he had gone with Levy to visit him in the hospital; most of his body covered in bandages, but he always gave a cheeky smile.

"Oi, Natsu, snap out of it. If yer gonna be a mess, I'll leave you behind, got it?" Natsu jerked his head up to meet piercing red eyes, his own charcoal ones quivering.

"What if she's dead, Gajeel? The aircraft was hit with at least _two_ heat-seeking missiles. They're not meant for big impacts like that, they can't handle the stress. Their frams-!" Gajeel smacked him across the face, _hard_.

" _Get yer shit together, Natsu! I know she won't die that easily! She's a stubborn little shrimp who can get through anything. Now get yer ass in the chopper or next time I'll slap you hard enough to snap yer neck!"_ Gajeel hissed at Salamander, smirking slightly at the fear that flashed in Natsu's eyes. Mumbling what sounded like an apology, Natsu threw his bag over his shoulder and waddled to the Nightwing X-395 Stealth model. It was the fastest, most silent model of attack chopper there was. This was their safest option knowing there was someone out there capable of striking down aircraft. They had to be prepared for any kind of attack. There were backup fighter planes to deploy if needed, but at the time being they were on standby.

"Gajeel, we're deploying! Let's move!" Erza shouted over the commotion, arm waving.

The doors to the carrier wing groaned as they slowly open, the biting winter wind burst through the opening, blowing any loose items high into the air. Gajeel pulled his hood up and wrapped a piece of fabric over his face. Natsu tossed him a harness and rope, already suited up in his own. Gajeel couldn't read his expression as they secured their lines to the hooks; he was sure Natsu was building up his anger in preparation of encountering an enemy. It hadn't been seen often, but Natsu had a quiet side to him; if the dams broke though, run for your _life_. At least fifteen people had been hospitalized after some drunkards grabbed Lucy and wanted to have some fun. Within a minute, all were down, some conscious some not. The two quickly escaped before police got there, but word spread about Salamander, Natsu's new name, and almost everyone avoided him and Lucy.

"Gajeel, catch." Gajeel snatched a flying object and stared at Erza with a brow raised.

"EMP grenade, only got one so use it wisely." Erza warned him sternly, earning a nod in acknowledgement. Gajeel pocketed the grenade carefully before setting his feet firmly on the support bar underneath the cabin, hand grasping a bar to his right. Clicking on his headset, he gave a thumbs-up to the other members of this team, signaling to go. Erza tapped the pilot on the shoulder and returned to her spot, settling in for the ride.

Gajeel watched as the ground grew further and further away as they left the terminal, the biting winter wind nipping at their faces. He could barely feel the wind as they flew through Magnolia, the skies darkening as it began to turn into nighttime. Looking west, Gajeel could see another storm moving in, large, rolling clouds looking menacing as they roared towards them. He wasn't showing his emotions so he didn't look weak, but it was tearing him up inside that there was the chance of finding Levy's body and it _terrified_ him to no end. She was the only one who could calm him down or cheer him up; she was always there for him, whenever he needed her, and never once complained. The bluenette had softened Gajeel over the years and it was starting to show. Going from being an unruly, angry man to someone who actually had compassion for others. His heart twinged painfully at the thought of finding her body someone, mangled and -.

Gajeel stopped the thought. He didn't want to think about that, no, he _wouldn't_ think about that. Losing hope would just ruin the mission and could get himself in the same spot as Levy. Letting out a gruff sigh, Gajeel settled in for the flight, preparing himself for the worst.

'You'd better be alive when I get there, Levy…'

She was floating in a sea of red; waves upon waves crashing over her, sending her further out to sea with each hit. There was no sense of time where she was, that much she knew. As soon as the darkness had taken over her, she wound up bobbing in the red sea, no recollection of getting there. Levy's body ached painfully as she moved with the ocean. She wondered if that's why the sea was red; maybe she had died and this was her version of hell, just floating forever in an ocean of her blood. Static clouded her mind, thoughts unable to form completely, leaving her numbed.

A bright light suddenly shone above her, blinding the bluenette as she was engulfed in it. A harsh cold jerked her eyes open.

"Easy there, miss, don't push yourself too hard. Your leg is broken and so is your left wrist but they are in splints right now." Levy's wild eyes darted to the figure standing over her, a wet cloth in her hands.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Her voice was hoarse, scratching her throat painfully. The figure turned and grabbed a glass of water, gently lifting her head up and pressing the cold cup to her lips.

"Easy, now. Drink it slow. Sorry if I woke you, you're running a fever and have an infection coursing through you. Poor thing, what happened to you?" Levy's eyes focused and the face of a middle-aged woman appeared, her large green eyes filled with concern. Her mind scrambled for a complete thought, but came short. A fire was raging through her causing her to sweat profusely.

"I-I don't...I don't know…"

"Shh, don't strain yourself anymore. Just rest up and when you're ready, you can tell me about it. I've put your supplies by the table over there, call me if you need them." Levy watched the woman as she left, leaving her alone in the small room. Looking around the best she could, she figured it was a child's bedroom once before; old toys sat unused in the corner, dust covering them in a thick blanket. Old posters were barely hanging onto the wall, corners ripped and peeling. There was a small window against the wall, at the end of the bed, with a torn curtain billowing ever so slightly from a small crack in one of the seals. A small fireplace raged on across from her, the warmth gently wavering towards her.

Levy look down at her wrist, a large splint in place preventing her from bending it. It was still a little swollen and the skin was a bluish purple sheen, giving it a nasty appearance. Moving her arm up slowly, she tested whether anything else was broken. Her wrist gave a little twinge, but nothing else seemed to be damaged. The bluenette next pulled the blanket from over her legs, hissing as the rough wool blanket snagged on her splint, moving her leg awkwardly. Fumbling with the fabric, she finally freed the blanket and held back a gasp; The entire length of her leg was and black, some spots were even a dark red, possibly due to broken blood vessels. The splint on her leg was more heavy duty, clamped tightly against her leg to prevent it from moving while it healed. A heavy wool sock covered her foot, preventing the chill from the window from freezing her feet off.

"Kami, I'm all sorts of fucked up…" Levy muttered under her breath, a pounding headache setting in. Her eyelids drooped heavily and before she knew it, she was back in the warm embrace of darkness.

 _~Dream World~_

 _Levy groaned as sunlight shone through the curtains, landing perfectly onto her face. She threw her arm over her face and tried to shield herself, but the light was persistent and she gave in, waking up for the day. She stifled a yawn as she shuffled to the bathroom, slippers scraping against the floor. She flicked the bathroom light on and stared groggily at herself in the mirror. Her azure locks were going wild, sticking up in every direction. Bags had settled underneath her eyes giving her a worn out expression. The shirt she slept in was slipping from her shoulders, exposing her porcelain skin beneath._

 _Bloodshot eyes stared back at her from the mirror, startling her. Levy tousled her hair before giving up and deciding to shower, the only plausible way to tame the azure locks. Steam filled the small bathroom and she took her time scrubbing dried sweat from her body. Once she had dried off and changed, putting in a multicolored headband to keep the locks tamed and out of her face, Levy made her way out of her cozy apartment and out of the building. Many familiar faces appeared and she greeted each and every one with a smile and a wave. A small headache began to form in the back of her head, but she decided it was nothing more than lack of water. Her bag bounced against her hip with every step, the heavy bag containing at least four books. Lucy had lent her some of her finished novels and Levy was head over heels in love with them. They had such exhilarating plots and twists, having Levy gripping the edge of her seat every chapter. Just remembering the story brought a skip to her step._

 _As she walked through town towards the guild, a pang flashed across her mind, her steps faltering. She placed a hand on her head, her vision swimming. The busy streets around her seemed to slow down to a crawl; the citizens were moving in slow-motion. Even the birds were flying slowly through the air. The pain subsided enough for Levy to look around. The guild wasn't far from where she was, but what she couldn't figure out was what type of magic was slowing time down. There were records of time_ _ **stopping**_ _, but nothing about it slowing down. Before she could get any further, time flashed forward, the people rushing by her at dizzying speeds. Somehow none of them smacked into her, even at the speeds they were moving. The skies turned from bright blue to hues of reds and yellows, signaling the end of the day already._

" _Levy? Can you hear me? Levy!" A voice cut through the madness and the time warp evaporated into thin air, returning her surroundings to normal. She turned her head to see Pantherlily and Gajeel standing behind her. Lily looked concerned while Gajeel looked...well, stoic like usual._

" _I...did either of you notice the time stream warping? Moving at abnormal rates?" Levy felt her brows furrow as the two looked at each other before shrugging._

" _Nah, nothin's off. Must be yer head, gihi." Gajeel snickered, uncrossing his arms to pat her on the head. The pain returned briefly, her face contorting in an attempt to relieve it. Noticing, Lily yanked on Gajeel's pants, signaling for him to stop._

" _We should head to the guild to let Mira know we've returned from our mission. We can pick up a new one while we're at it." Lily suggested, his tiny arms crossed over his chest. Gajeel gave a grunt in agreeance and the two started setting off, leaving Levy behind to catch up._

" _H-hey, wait up! I want to help pick to new mission!" Levy scrambled to catch up to the massive man's long legs, practically running to get to his walking speed. Lily had taken to flying slowly beside his partner, bobbing gently in the air using his Aera magic. The poor mage had to strain her neck to even look up at him due to her short stature and his massive height. His face was unreadable, like always, as they walked to the guild. Silence filled the space between them, causing Levy to shift uncomfortably._

 _There was a river that flowed west towards the guild and she stopped to take in the beauty of the burbling waters._

' _Why is my head hurting so much? I should go see Wendy, maybe she can help me…' There was a narrow rock path next to the river and she made her way to it, dropping her back heavily as she flung her shoes off. The water was frigid, but it helped alleviate the troubling thoughts plaguing her mind. Resting her chin on her arms, she closed her eyes, letting the frigid waters wash away her troubles. A heavy sigh escaped her lips, aches disappearing from her body, gently riding down the river. What the hell was wrong with her? All of these symptoms came out of nowhere, practically crippling her instantly. It felt natural; the town, the guild...Gajeel seemed different, but he was still himself, that much she could tell. Something was off about all of this, but she couldn't put her finger onto it. Everything seemed normal, but at the same time, it was completely new to her._

 _A breeze picked up and a chill ran up her spine. Pulling her toes from the cold water, Levy let them dry out in the summer sun, the heat kissing her pale skin gently. She rubbed her eyes tiredly. She had woken up exhausted, but there was no reason for it. There were certain nights she had stayed up late, caught up in one of her books, but last night for some reason she went to bed early. Or did she? Her memories were really fuzzy at the moment. Giving another heavy sigh, she flopped back onto the rocks, ignoring the ones jabbing into her back. Her eyes closed briefly, sleep overcoming her quickly._

 _Flashes of uniforms and military personnel filled her dream. Every now and then she would see herself from someone's point of view, sitting high up on a building with a sniper in their hands. It all felt so familiar but Levy couldn't place her finger on it. A memory of being on a helicopter took place of all the others and a strong sense of nostalgia took hold as she watched from whoever's eyes it was as they flew through the air. Parts of it turned to static and Levy struggled to see what happened next. A mere few seconds flashed by before it became clear once more; she was falling from a helicopter, three other men reaching for her and crying out her name._

' _Funny,' Levy thought. 'Whoever it is has the same name as me…' The mage could almost feel the panic flooding through her as she fell, feeling helpless._

 _A sharp pain in her leg and wrist jerked her from her slumber, her body shooting straight up. Her heart was racing in her chest as she placed a hand on her leg. It felt like it snapped in half. She could've sworn it actually happened; there was still a burning sensation trailing her leg. And her wrist; Levy quickly checked to see if that was broken too. It wasn't. Levy let out a shaky breath. Just what in the hell was happening to her?_

" _Oi, why'd you run off?" Gajeel's voice startled her so bad she let out a squeak, quickly covering her mouth. Gajeel raised a brow but didn't say anything as he judged her facial expressions. She looked startled, that was obvious, but she also looked...scared?_

" _G-Gajeel, you startled me! Sorry, I just needed a minute to collect my thoughts." Levy stuttered over her words, unable to think properly. She fiddled with the strap of her bag, refusing to look at her guildmate. "Yer actin' really strange today. Did you hit your head on the mission yesterday? Maybe you should go see Porlyusica and see if she can look you over." Gajeel bounced on his heels as he crouched, watching her with mixed emotions. Levy glanced at him, a blush creeping onto her face. 'Why am I blushing? We've known each other for years-' Wait, that didn't seem right. They've only known each other barely a year since Phantom was disbanded, never since they were young. She felt static fill her mind as she tried to remember why the thought even popped up._

" _We should get back to the guild, there's another mission that would suit us perfectly." Lily interrupted, bringing the focus back to the task on hand. Levy nodded, bag in her hand, and stood. Her balance was still off and she wobbled, but regained control and walked along the riverbank. A hand grabbed her wrist and she suddenly found herself on Gajeel's shoulder._

" _H-hey, let me down! I can walk on my own-!" Levy protested, smacking her tiny fists on his back._

" _No way, you can't even walk straight!" Gajeel grunted as they made their way to the guild, careful not to jostle her too much. The bluenette noticed and felt the familiar heat sensation rush back to her face. Lily had taken it upon himself to sit on Gajeel's other shoulder, eating a kiwi whole. Oddly enough, there was no pain when he touched her this time. The bluenette decided it must have receded for the time being._

 _The guild came into view and Gajeel suddenly came to a stop, jostling Levy from her thoughts. Gracefully, Levy was dropped to the ground, a strong hand gripping her arm to keep her steady._

" _Meet at the gates in an hour for the next mission. Go see Wendy first though," Levy began to protest, but Gajeel waved a hand at her before disappearing into the guild. Laughter and cheers exploded from within as the doors opened. Patting her dress down, Levy followed suit and walked into the guild. Her foot barely tapped the doorway when it hit; her leg felt like it had snapped into pieces, faltering her steps. Fiery pain roared over her body like a wildfire, preventing her from taking another step forward. Blood trickled down her face, the hot sticky substance feeling cold against the raging fire. The guild members looked at her in normal fashion, greeting her enthusiastically. Her voice escaped her as her body was being torn apart from the inside out. Lucy ran to her excitedly, unaware of the her friend's dilemma._

" _Levy, how did the mission go? Did you get some alone time with Gajeel?" The blonde wiggled her brows suggestively, hoping for a juicy story from the bluenette. Levy was in too much pain to speak, but her voice came out anyways, without her control._

" _Lu-chan, it wasn't anything like that! W-we're just nakama, nothing more!" Levy watched as an ethereal form of herself appeared before her, covering up her true body. It was like a nightmare gone from bad to worse; she watched as her other form walked away with Lucy, who was unaware of her true condition, and felt the fear of being alone creep up on her once more._

" _Oi, how long are you gonna stand there? We've got the new mission, let's go!" Gajeel snapped impatiently, his foot tapping the floor with agitation. Ethereal Levy stopped to glare at him, hands on her hips._

" _You said to meet outside the guild in an hour. It's been barely five minutes!"_

" _I don't care; the faster we get this done, the faster we can get back. You have five minutes with her, blondie!" Lucy stuck her tongue out at the Iron Dragon Slayer before dragging Levy to an unoccupied corner of the room._

 _It felt like Levy's body was going to rip apart at the seams any minute. The pain was off the charts as the members of the guild moved around her with ease, not even noticing her presence. Her memories began to flicker between the real world and this one, images flashing through her mind at neck breaking speeds. She felt like she was suffocating, the sea of red rumbling towards her. She slumped to the floor in silent agony, awaiting for the red sea to swallow her once more. Eyes trailing to her left, she noticed Gajeel seemed to be staring intently in her direction, face unreadable. Could he actually_ _ **see**_ _her?_

" _G-Gaj...Gajeel…" Levy croaked out, watching through her closing lids as his eyes widened in surprised. The red sea took her once more._

 _Gajeel had been watching the spot Levy stood intently, something about it was feeling odd. How could she walk into the guild and instantly be perfectly fine? Something was up and he was going to figure it out sooner or later. Through his enhanced hearing, he heard someone softly call out his name. His eyes widened as the form of Levy was lying on the ground, blood trickling from her head and onto the floor. But as soon as he saw it, it had vanished into thin air, not even leaving a drop of blood._

" _Levy…?"_

Levy's eyes jerked open, tears streaming down her face. She moved her limbs and noticed, with some relief, that her leg and wrist were still bound tightly. Looking around the room, she noticed she was back to reality. The cold, hard, bitter, reality. A chill ran up her spine as she noticed the fire had long been put out, the cold winter weather creeping back into the room like a shadow, slowly enveloping the room.

"W-what the _fuck_ …" Levy muttered, placing her good hand over her face, wiping away the remaining tears. Her mind was muddied from the dream she just had, the thought of remembering it was painful. The door creaked and footsteps entered the room; Levy looked over to see the old woman hobbling towards the fireplace.

"Ah, you're awake again. Do you feel better this time?"

"Ah, not really. NIghtmares always make me feel like crap…" Levy awkwardly laughed, placing her good hand to the back of her head nervously.

The old woman chuckled. "Unfortunately, that's what happens when you go through such trauma such as yourself. So young, too…" The woman tsked as she got the fire to a roar, the heat sending the tentacles of the bitter cold back to the edges of the window. Satisfied the fire was strong and sturdy, the woman made her way to the bowl of water lying on the table next to the bluenette, sticking her fingers into it. "I'll go change your water, it's gotten dirty. I'm sure you'd like to bathe, so I'll go change this and then give you a sponge bath, okay?"

Levy weakly smiled at the older lady as she shuffled from the room, leaving her in silence. Letting out a heavy sigh, the bluenette stared at her lap numbly; what was that strange world she encountered? It felt so natural to be there, to go to the 'Guild'. Lucy was there and for a flash, a familiar head of pink hair was too. Gajeel was there, but he seemed off. He was wearing light colored, loose pants with a dark shirt with the sleeves cut off and some weird feathered thing attached at his shoulder. And that cat; a short, talking cat with a sword swung over his shoulder. It all seemed normal in that world, but coming back to reality made Levy question her sanity.

Levy recalled when Gajeel picked her up, heat flushing her face at the memory. Why was that version of herself so awkward around him? It was never anything like that in this world, so why was it so different there? The door creaked open once more and the thoughts disappeared as her caretaker returned.

"Um, if I may," Levy started, waiting for approval to continue. The lady hummed a response, setting up the bowl of water next to her. "Who are you?"

"Ah, you finally asked," She chuckled. "I am Kaede. My husband died long ago and my own children, well, they fell on dark times and I assume they're alive and well, but a mother's heart knows when her children have gone." Tears welled up in the old woman's eyes, as she spoke of her children and their names; Taki was the oldest, aspiring to join the military like his father. Millianna was the middle child and an avid animal lover, specifically cats. She had left when she turned 18 to run an animal sanctuary far away for homeless and unwanted animals. Her youngest was named Melody, who was the wild child, that had run off long ago, anger fueling her path towards destruction. A raid on the town had killed her husband nearly a decade ago, fueling Melody to hunt down those responsible. She hadn't heard from her children in years, assuming the worst had happened to them. "I'm so sorry, Kaede. Everything you've been through, I can't imagine it." Levy reached over and held the woman in her arms, old shaking hands wrapping around her back tightly. The two embraced each other for awhile, their sorrows pouring from their hearts.

"You remind me so much of my girls, young lady. It feels so natural to have you here, beside me. Thank you," Kaede pulled away and looked at Levy with content in her eyes and a small smile on her face. Levy wiped away her own tears before holding onto the woman's aged and wrinkled hands.

"You've been through so much, Kaede. I can't relate to any of it, but I know what it feels like to feel so alone…" Kaede patted her hands before shakily wiping away the tears from her face.

"Enough of crying, let's get you all cleaned up. You were out for a week and a half this time, I'm sure you feel disgusting."

"A week and a half?! It didn't feel that long...but I _do_ feel disgusting…" Kaede chuckled as she wetted the cloth, carefully pulling back the blanket. She helped Levy strip, noticing the blush on the young woman's face.

"Don't be bashful, dear, I've raised two girls in my life and there's nothing to be ashamed of." Levy chuckled nervously at the gesture.

Kaede took her time, making sure to clean every inch of skin until there wasn't a speck of dirt left on her. Moving carefully around her wounds, she dabbed at the spaces in between the braces with the most tender of touches. It surprised Levy at how gentle the old woman was. It was as if she was treating one of her own children, carefully mending their wounds. Kaede asked about what part of the military Levy was in, she had guessed from her combat bag and clothes, and seemed mildly surprised when the bluenette answered Specialty Sniper for the Army.

"My, that seems like a dangerous job for such a young lady."

"I've always been good at planning strategies so it seemed the perfect position for me. There's no pleasure in it, just the satisfaction that I've taken another terrible person from this world. It's the little things that count," Kaede agreed as she finished up, helping Levy into warmer clothes.

"Aye, child, there's no pleasure in killing, but it's a good thing you're taking the bad people from this world. So many have died in past wars, taking even the lives of children. It's a terrible thing,"

"I agree. One day we won't have to worry about such things-." A knock on the door interrupted Levy, causing Kaede to drop her rag.

"It seems they've come at last." The old woman stood, leaving a confused Levy staring up at her.

"Kaede? What's going on?" Panic was rising in her throat; she was in no condition to fight, let alone escape if need be. The old woman closed the door and slammed a wooden bar down across it.

"Defend yourself, child, there's been bad militia coming to every house looking for someone. They keep saying something about Hayabi or someone along those lin- are you alright, child?"

Levy's body shook from pure fear. Wayabi was looking for her; more specifically his son was to take revenge for his father.

"Kaede, hide yourself. His father was a major drug lord that I killed a few weeks back and he wants revenge. Please toss me my bag, I have a rifle and pistol in there. Do you know how to shoot?"

Kaede nodded firmly, already bringing the sniper her bag. Levy dug through it quickly; she could hear the front door being kicked in and multiple voices entering the house.

"Nay, child, I can defend myself just fine. I'm the wife of an Army man, I know how to defend myself. Can you shoot one armed?"

Levy cocked the rifle, resting the butt against her shoulder.

"My aim might be a little off, but I can still shoot fine. Get ready,"

Kaede settled herself behind a dresser, clicking off the safety of the pistol as footsteps grew closer. The doorknob jiggled, refusing to give way.

"The damn things locked! Hey, give me a hand here. On three…"

Levy tightened her grip, flicking the safety off, her finger hovering over the trigger.

"One, two…" The door burst open and the intruder barely locked eyes with Levy before a bullet flew through his chest. The man behind him open fired, his aim wild as his partner fell backwards onto him. Levy aimed again and fired, the bullet missing as her rifle slipped. Using her other arm as support, she settled the gun back on her shoulder just as the man aimed his pistol at her heart. Time slowed as the gun fired, preparing herself, Levy threw her other arm up, knowing there was no time to block it. She closed her eyes and awaited her ending.

But it never came. Levy heard a _thump_ and opened her eyes up to see Kaede falling, blood soaking into the back of her shirt. A final gunshot rang out, striking the other intruder in the abdomen and sending him crashing to the floor. The old woman smacked into the nightstand, knocking both table and water bowl to the floor.

"Kaede!" Levy watched as the poor, old woman laid on the floor, groaning. The second hitman, clutching his wound, grunted as he shakily aimed again, the gun waving dangerously. There was a tense moment as the two aimed for each other, fingers on the triggers. After a few moments, the man's grip went slack and he fell back, dead.

Levy's grip slackened as well, setting the gun aside on the bed. She carefully swung her leg over the bed, grimacing as pain shot through it. Kaede had gotten quieter, her breathing still rapid.

"Kaede, can you hear me? Why did you do that?" The old woman tilted her head up, a weak smile on her face.

"My child...you have so much...more to live for...I couldn't live with myself if someone...so young died too soon…" She paused to catch her breath. "Besides...I can finally be with my husband...it's been so long…" Tears streaked down her face and Levy gently wiped them away, sobs racking her body.

"Why...you didn't have to do this, Kaede. Please, hang in there!" Levy was crying, not afraid to show her sorrow. They'd only know each other for about two weeks, but she had grown to love the elderly woman. Kaede grabbed her hand gently and squeezed.

"What's your name, child...I want to know…"

"Levy, Levy McGarden…" Kaede smiled.

"Thank you, Levy...for everything…" She was gone. Levy didn't know how long she was on the floor, crying over the old woman's body. She had shown so much kindness to a stranger, an injured stranger no less, and took her under her wing; cleaning her daily, cooling her burning body down with such care it broke the bluenette's heart into pieces.

It seemed like an eternity after her tears had run dry. The three bodies in the room were starting to give her unease so she manuvered her way to each one, throwing a blanket or sheet to cover them. The room was eerily silent, only the crackling of the fire and the howling winds outside were heard. With her gear gathered and packed into her bag, she shouldered it and hobbled her way to the other room, hoping to find a crutch of some sort. There was an old calendar on the wall, from at least 5 years ago, so figuring how many days Levy had been gone was a mystery. She felt terrible taking what little food was in the kitchen, but she knew Kaede would want her to have them to survive.

Checking all the cabinets and and closets on the first floor, she limped up the stairs, having to stop constantly due to her leg. Once at the top, she scoured the two bedrooms and bathroom for supplies. The last room seemed to be a boys room; posters were hung on the walls, depicting patriotic scenes of men preparing for battle. A country flag that was once bright and vivid was now crumpled onto the floor, worn and ragged. Levy felt a pang across her heart; Taki really loved his country and was ready to die for it, but maybe he never got the chance to. Kaede didn't speak much of what happened to them, but it sounded like her eldest went to training, but after that was a mystery.

The door to the closet was cracked open and Levy checked to see if there was anything useful in there. The door was stiff from years of not opening and it took some yanking to pry it open. When it did finally open, it sent the bluenette tumbling to the ground as the hinges gave way and snapped off. Long forgotten items dumped onto the floor, clattering loudly. A few marbles rolled under the bed, never to be seen again.

"That really hurt…" Levy grumbled as she slowly moved her broken limbs to sit up. Most of the stuff seemed useless, just random items like books and clothes, but buried beneath the mountain was what looked like a baseball bat. It took some time to unbury but when it popped out, Levy gave it a once over before deciding it would work. It was the perfect length, given her short stature, to act as a crutch. She found an old sock to put over the bottom to help give some traction in the snow.

'Alright, I think I've got everything now…' Levy double checked before limping to the door, the bat thumping against the worn wood floorboards. It was darkening outside and a part of her told her to stay inside until morning, but with the two men dead and not able to report back to the head honcho, she had no choice; It was either leave and find new shelter, or stay and risk being caught.

Choosing the latter, she headed out into the darkness, unsure of where fate would take her.

 **Yay another chapter done! I felt this one dragged on a bit, but I got too into it to go back. It's been a tough month for me, and my family, so it shouldn't be too long before I update, but it may not be right away. See you soon!~**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the late updates, it's been a rough month for me with family issues going on, but at least I have some time to begin the next chapter! I may go back after finishing the series and redo some of the chapters, but for now I'll go through with them and go back later. So this chapter will take place 3 months after Levy's chopper went down and a new war is about to take place! Prepare yourselves! Mwuahaha!**

 ***I totally forgot this was already finished months ago lol***

The long winter days had turned into rainy spring days with flooding occurring almost daily. Levy had gotten used to it though, seeing as she had to trudge through it daily to get back to her hideout. It was an abandoned hotel that was in the center of a war zone years ago. Most of the windows had been blown out by the shockwave of a bomb that was dropped in an attempt to clear out any remaining enemies. At that time though, most of the Algeras army had retreated, their government crumbling to nothing. There were skeletons scattered throughout the once luxurious hotel, but Levy had found some rooms on the upper floors that were clear of them.

After the night she left Kaede's, it had been hell; more of Wayabi's men had shown up looking for the two that were lying dead in the house. The firefight lasted what seemed like hours before Levy had the upperhand, finishing them off. A few stray bullets had grazed her arms, but it was nothing serious. The snow made it difficult as she trudged onward, seeking shelter far from the battlezone. An infection had set in after a few days, halting her move and leaving her clinging to life. There were a few herbs stuffed into her bag, most likely from Kaede, that helped her fight the infection back. Still, it had taken her out of commission for awhile and put her at risk. She had to keep moving.

The bluenette made her way up the grand staircase in the hotel, limping from her previous injury. It stopped healing right when she tripped and fell, the alignment altering just slightly. Her wrist had healed just fine, albeit when bad weather was rolling in it ached like hell. By now she was used to scavenging to survive; there was an old grocery store down the road that had some canned food left, even though it had expired. When that ran out she learned to craft a bow and arrow; her adoptive father had taught her when she was very young, and hunted whatever she could find. One time she was crawling through some woods when she spotted a young deer just beyond the tree line. Her sight was lined up and she was about to release the arrow when something spooked the animal, quickly scaring it away. Levy cursed. She would have to find food elsewhere if she wanted to have a chance at surviving. Following the path the deer took, Levy found herself near a burbling creek.

It was the season for fish migration and the bluenette lucked out when some began floating downstream. Five fish fell victim to her arrows and for once she had a decent meal. Other predators lurked in the area but Levy always had her pistol on her. Ammo was running low after the last firefight, so she had to only use it for emergency. The rifle had at least 25 rounds left, scavaged from fallen soldiers, so that was some comfort.

The trudge up the staircase seemed to take forever, her leg starting to burn painfully. She stopped on the third floor, resting on an old worn two-seater bench. It groaned as she sat down, age taking it's effect on the furniture. Everything was coated in a thick layer of dust; paintings that were once magnificent now hung loosely from their frames, dust clinging to every inch of it. Some of the furniture had heavy plastic covers over them but there was about five pounds of dust and debris on each one. The floors marked where Levy walked daily; she had made sure to step in previously made paths to leave as little evidence of her being there as possible.

Levy sighed heavily. For three months, possibly longer, no one had searched for her. Her thoughts sometimes trailed to the darker side, often thinking no one cared and they all just went about their days, but she tried to stay positive about it. Some days were harder than others, but nonetheless, she kept moving forward. The part of the city she was in was unfamiliar to her. Most of their missions were the opposite way from the base, leaving her to tread unfamiliar territory alone. There was no electricity and her com had been lost, so there was no getting a hold of the base. She could always attempt to find her way back, but what good would that do? She was in the middle of some deserted city with no sense of direction and an injury that only slowed her down.

"I wonder if they even care I'm gone…" The bluenette wondered aloud, earning a howl from the wind. A chill ran down her spine and she rubbed her arms vigorously to warm herself up. A spring storm was moving in, bringing cold howling winds and freezing rain with it.

For the most part the hotel sheltered her well enough from the elements, but it didn't stop the bitters winds that nipped at her skin. Levy stretched her arms before standing, her old injuries aching from the weather. By now they were just dull aches, but there were times it felt like she was on fire and there was no calming it down.

The wind howled furiously as she climbed up two more flights of stairs, stopping every now and then to catch her breath or readjust her bag. When she finally made it to the top, she saw the ginormous storm clouds rolling in, parts of the city already having rain dumped over it. It was almost enchanting, watching the rain fall, causing Levy to lose focus and think back to better times. A noise interrupted her thoughts and she whirled around, pistol in her hands. Silence.

"Whoever is there, put your hands up and come out, now!" Levy threatened into the silence, eyes scanning the already dark room for moving shadows. To her right a small object moved across the floor, prompting Levy to fire a warning shot close to it, the gunshot ringing throughout the empty hotel. The object slowed to a stop, rattling gently. The sound triggered a familiar scene and Levy jumped out of the way as the item blew up shortly after, smoke filling the room quickly. Levy's lungs burned as she inhaled some smoke, tears streaming down her face. Through the smoke she could barely make out a figure running towards her with something in their hand. Stumbling out of the way, the bluenette crashed into something, landing awkwardly on the floor.

"Stay still, damnit!" A gruff voice yelled from somewhere across the room, anger seeping from their voice. Levy scrambled towards the window, her foot scraping against the edge. Debris fell 5 stories down into the darkness, thunder roaring loudly as lightning flashed brightly.

"What business do you have here? How did you know I was here?" Levy demanded loudly, her pistol in one hand and the other slowly reaching for her hidden blade.

"What's with all the questions you're giving me? Well, I guess it doesn't matter since you're going to be dead in a minute _anyways_!" A gunshot rang out and the bluenette squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the impact. After a few moments of not feeling anything, she cracked an eye open, noticing another figure in the darkness.

"Levy! Are you alright?! Are you injured? My god, you've been missing for _three whole months_!" The figure rushed towards her and pulled her away from the window before engulfing her in a crushing pistol fell from her hands as relief overflowed from within, tears welling up.

"N-Natsu…?"

Ever since Levy had gone missing, Gajeel had barely slept. His mind was always playing scenarios of what could have happened to her. Over and over it tormented him until one day, he just stopped talking. Not even Erza could get anything from him, despite her menacing aura, and she could get anyone to talk just by glaring at them. She tried to avoid getting stern with him, but after a few months went by, the woman had had enough.

"Gajeel, you _have_ to snap out of this! You're just going to ruin your own health if you keep going. I know you haven't been eating much or sleeping, but just think of how Levy would feel if she-." A blade to her throat quickly silenced her. Erza was prepared for this and backed down, taking a step back from the Commander. The lack of food had made Gajeel shaky and unstable so Erza had to take precautions.

"Look, the point I'm trying to get at is you need to take care of yourself. You're so stressed out you can't even function right." Erza sighed as she took the blade from his slackened grip and gently pushed his arm down. "We're all going through the grief right now of losing a comrade, but I know she wouldn't want us to just mope around all day. Levy would want us to keep moving forward. I want you to grab some food and shape up before the mission in a few hours. You had better be ready or so help me, Gajeel, I _will_ slap you out of this." The scarlet haired woman warned before handing back his knife and leaving his office, the door clicking softly behind her.

Gajeel stared at the door for some time before plopping himself down heavily in his chair, hands over his face. How long would he be like this? That day, when the search team had gone out to find the fallen chopper, there was hope that Levy was alive and well. The crash site was full of parts and debris, but her body was nowhere to be found. The men from her squad said she was tossed from high up when she gave up her rope to a private.

Scouring the surrounding few miles, Gajeel searched every nook and cranny he could, calling her name through the snow storm. For hours he had searched, fighting off other soldiers who tried to bring him back to base, yelling at them for giving up so easily. Natsu ended up knocking him out after he started fighting the others. When Gajeel awoke, he was back at base, settled into a bed in the infirmary.

Mirajane told him the others searched the area hard but only found her com piece buried in some snow. Since that day, Gajeel held onto it for dear life, turning it on every now and then in hopes of hearing something, _anything._

"Forget it, she's long gone, Gajeel. There's no way she could've survived that…" The Commander mumbled under his breath as he left his office. He had to appease Erza if he wanted to go on this mission to take down the head of Zy-Com Inc. Wayabi's son, Hatchi. The maniac had begun beefing up his army and was threatening the base with nuclear war if they didn't back down. The military took the threats seriously and began planning an attack to cripple them.

Gajeel meandered his way down the hall, ignoring the greetings from his brothers and sisters. Many people had tried to cheer him up, but nothing ever worked. Most of the time it just pissed him off even more.

Loud chattering snapped him from his train of thought as he passed the doors to the control center. It sounded like someone was yelling, angry about something. As he passed by, the words _found her_ hit his ears and his footsteps halted. He whirled on his heels and slammed open the door, startling everyone inside. Erza took the com from her ear as Gajeel approached, watching him warily as he approached.

"What's going on, Erza?" Gajeel asked carefully, preparing himself for what she was about to say.

"Did you grab food, Gajeel? We're headed out sooner than planned, the enemy is moving forward in their attack. Get dressed and grab something quick." Erza kept it short, watching his facial expression. His eyes had regained the light in them, his mind more alert.

"What about what you said a minute ago? About finding her? Is she…" Gajeel trailed off, not wanting to hear about her body being found. Erza sighed and walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I can't tell you otherwise you'll just run off and abandon the mission. I _will_ tell you this; she's alive. A little beat up, but alive. Natsu's with her right now, so she'll be fine. But I need your _absolute_ focus today, understand? If you fuck up, you'll get us all killed." Erza hissed the last part, her voice dangerously low. It was never a good thing to piss her off, especially when there was the chance a mission could be compromised. Gajeel swallowed heavily before nodding. Erza gave him a pat on the shoulder before going back to ordering her underlings around, leaving Gajeel to prepare for the mission.

Gajeel left the room and immediately headed to get changed, determination fueling his steps. _She was alive! Levy was alive!_ His heart raced as he ran down the halls, pushing past people without care. He had to get to her first, no matter what. Hell, he'd punch Natsu right out of a window to get to her. After the search and rescue mission had ended, it gave Gajeel plenty of time to think. His feelings towards her had emerged one day when he was going through old photographs, memories flooding back to him. There was one of Levy when she had fallen off her bike when she was around 7, her legs all scraped up. But she never did cry. Instead, she stood back up and tried again and again, never once complaining about the pain. Gajeel finally stopped her and bandaged her scrapes up, earning a big smile from her in the end.

Gajeel stopped flipping through the book as his mind wandered back to a few weeks ago when Levy was in the infirmary for the stab wound. She kept trying to tell him something, but what was it? It was brought up at least two times that week, something about working so well together, even since they were kids. Then it hit him; Levy was trying to admit her _feelings_ for him. Black Steel Gajeel was never one to blush, but when it hit him, his face turned redder than a tomato. How had he never noticed? They were always together, so it felt natural for her to be by his side and vice versa. He banged his head on the desk, feeling stupid for never noticing. But now...he may never have the chance to return the feelings if Natsu couldn't bring her home.

Gajeel banged his locker shut, tightening the strap to his holster. His plan was to take out as many enemies as he could then go find Levy. He'd face the wrath of Erza later, _after_ he found Levy safe and sound. The locker room door opened and Bixlow walked in, full gear on.

"Erza's ready to take off now, Gajeel. Hanger 3." Just as soon as he arrived, he left once more. Bixlow was one of the very elite at the base, part of a group known as the Thunder Legion. Apart from Bixlow there was Freed, Evergreen, and the leader, Laxus. He had only seen them once, but their aura alone was enough to send out a clear warning to everyone else. That was the last time he ever saw them and that meeting was at least a year ago.

Pushing in his ear com, Gajeel shouldered his AR-15 and headed towards the hangar, determined to get to Levy. The hangar was unusually quiet, only the sound of the technicians tools bouncing around the empty room.

"Oi, where's the damn chopper?" Gajeel shouted, his echo the only thing responding to him.

"Easy, Gajeel. We're not taking to the air this time," Erza appeared from the doorway, a mask over her face.

"Then what other way is there?" He was getting anxious; he wanted to get to Levy as soon as he could. Erza tossed him a diving kit, the heavy canister throwing him off momentarily.

"We're going through a channel that runs under the city, it's the fastest way to reach the enemies base and take them out from the inside. We're taking a hummer to the drop off point and going by skis until we hit the edge of the canal. There's a metal grate that we'll break open and swim our way about 150 feet to an old boat ramp. From there we should hit some resistance, but not much at all. We need to plant bombs at the locations I've marked on your GPS. Stick together and for fucks sake, Gajeel, _don't lose focus._ "

Gajeel nodded. He only had one objective; find Levy.

"Wait a minute, you're joking, right?" Natsu asked, dumbfounded as he stared at his friend.

"I'm dead serious, Natsu. Wayabi was my problem to begin with and now I need to help take him down. You're not gonna stop me, are you?" Levy demanded as she stared him down, well up from her point, waiting for him to crack. Natsu shuffled nervously, scratching the back of his head.

"I mean, I understand where you're coming from…"

"Great, let's go!" Levy chirped at her success, grabbing Natsu's hand and dragging him down the stairs. She got maybe twenty feet before she was pulled to a stop.

"How are you supposed to fight with your leg like that? Can you even run?" Natsu questioned, crossing his arms over his chest. Levy sighed in annoyance.

"Natsu, I can handle just fine with this leg. I'll have it reset once all of this is over, okay? Oh, I do need some ammo though if you have extras." Levy easily caught the box of shells, quickly loading her weapons up. Natsu still seemed uneasy, but there was no arguing with the bluenette; she had always been very stubborn.

"Just stick behind me, okay? We've got to reach the LZ about...3 Mikes from here. Be ready for a fight though, they know something's coming." Levy nodded.

"I've taken down quite a few of them in the span of three months. An old lady helped me after the crash and not long after, two men came looking for me because I killed Wayabi. I know his son is sending men out to find me, to get revenge for his father's death…" Levy stopped at the bottom of the stairs, looking out through the broken windows. Natsu clapped her on the back, heading down the next set of stairs.

"If you want to get revenge then we better get going. We don't have much time before the storm hits, so let's get going." Natsu waved his hand as he disappeared down the stairs, motioning for her to follow. Levy took one more glance at the storms rolling in over the deserted city before following suit, unsure of what awaited ahead.

Gajeel sat in the darkness, waiting for the cue to move out. They had arrived at the end of the canal and were waiting for Laxus' team to melt the steel bars resting twenty feet below. So far they were on schedule, but that didn't mean there wouldn't be any complications. Leaning forward on the jet ski, Gajeel watched with little interest at the slowly moving spark underwater. It was a surprisingly quiet night out and it only frayed the Commanders nerves. He was itching to get through this mission and then find Levy. He knew Natsu was capable of protecting her well, but it still bothered him. His foot began to shake irately, sending gently waves across the water top.

"Calm down or I'll cut your foot off!" Erza whispered from somewhere to his right. His foot stopped.

"How long are they gonna take opening that damned thing? We don't have all night!" Gajeel hissed back, now tapping his fingers on his leg. Erza started to retort when the spark underwater went out, signaling they were done.

"Keep your light on until about twenty feet from the edge then go dark. We'll need the element of surprise." Everyone on the team pulled their scuba masks on before falling backwards into the water, splashing quietly. Gajeel let out a string of cuss words before biting onto the mouthpiece and following suit.

The water was surprisingly cold and it sent a chill through the scuba suit. Their coms were disabled underwater so they communicated through morse code using their flashlights. Gajeel swam to the entrance of the large pipe, swimming by the Thunder Legion as he did. Freed and Evergreen swam in first, leading the group. As soon as Gajeel had entered the pipe, Bixlow and Laxus followed suit, closing the gate silently behind them.

Everyone moved in uniformed silence, Erza occasionally checking to see if everyone was still following. After what seemed like an eternity, they slowed down, a distant light shimmering dully. Erza flashed her light once, twice, then turned it off. Gajeel clicked his off and moved towards the edge of the tunnel. The Thunder Legion took the lead, forming an arrow pattern as the tunnel light grew brighter.

As soon as their heads broke the edge of the water, all hell broke loose. Gunfire rained down from above, bullets shooting past the team. They quickly broke apart, scattering their formation and looking for cover. There were massive digging machines and roadblocks near the edge of the water, giving them sturdy coverage. It was a struggle to kick off the scuba gear, but once it was off, Gajeel moved like a shadow. He jumped between barricades, taking pinpoint shots as he did.

Most of the enemies went down without a problem, but the machine gunner had the advantage on them, raining down an endless rain of bullets. Gajeel counted them as quickly as he could, knowing there wasn't an endless supply. He readied himself and as soon as the gun clicked empty, he struck. Popping over the barrier Gajeel returned fire, the others following suit. Most of the bullets bounced off of the metal shield surrounding the gun. Steadying his breath, he slowed his heart rate as his focus zoomed in on the small viewing window in the armor. With one final exhale, he fired.

A scream echoed around the cave as Gajeel's bullet hit it's target, shutting down the raining bullets.

"Move out! Squad one with me! Squad two go with Gajeel and make your way to the main chamber!" Erza barked as she signaled to move out, gun at the ready. Gajeel quickly led the way down the right tunnel, Bixlow and Freed in formation behind him. Three other men joined his squad, bringing up the rear. They spread to triangle formation as the mouth of the tunnel opened up, bright lights making the shadows dance along the walls. Voices could be heard from the cavern and Gajeel crouched and held his fist up, signaling to stop. He grabbed a flash bang canister from his waist, yanked the pin out with his teeth and tossed it around the bend. A panic went up as the canister exploded, filling the area with a cloud of bright burning light.

"Move!" Gajeel yelled as he dashed into the area, checking his sight for the heat signals. One by one they fell until the room was filled with oozing corpses. The others searched the bodies while Gajeel studied the room with unease. Something wasn't right; it was too easy of a takedown.

A chill ran up his spine as the hair on the back of his neck stood straight up; they weren't alone. He put his fingers to his mouth and released a high-pitch whistle, alerting the others to the danger. They quickly found cover as Gajeel searched for the enemy, eyes darting around the cavern. His heart felt like it was going to burst from his chest at any moment as adrenaline coursed through his veins. A flash of metal caught his attention and he hit the floor as a gunshot rang out, the sound deafening in the enclosed cavern. Ringing filled Gajeel's ears as he hit the floor, a cloud of dust puffing up.

"Heavy duty sniper, Gajeel! 11 o' clock high!" Bixlow shouted as another deafening shot fired off. Grabbing a small mirror from his vest pocket, Gajeel angled it just right to locate the sniper. There was a small chance to hit him when he was reloading, but it was risky; in the time he prepared to aim and fire gave the sniper the chance to reload or pull out another gun and counter him.

Gajeel growled as another shot went off, nearly hitting Freed in the head. Freed crouched lower before signaling to throw a smoke screen. Bixlow reloaded and snuck around a large digger, taking advantage of the solid cover. He was trying to get a higher advantage to take out the sniper while the others distracted him. Signaling to hold off, Gajeel aimed the mirror again. The sniper was gone.

Noticing the change as well, Freed cursed under his breath before searching around the cavern, eyes picking at every nook and cranny.

A flash of light from above blinded them all, throwing off their senses.

Gajeel knew it was a trap, but how could they defend if they couldn't see?

"We have to get out of here, we're sitting ducks in here!" One of the other soldiers yelled, pulling his mask back over his face as he ran from cover.

"Don't move, dumbass!" Gajeel warned, but it was too late; the sniper picked him off with ease. Anger fueled the Commander as he watch his comrade fall. Higgins had told him just a few weeks ago that his wife was expecting their first child together and that he was excited to go home and be with his family. Now...his wife and unborn child will watch as he's lowered into the cold, hard ground, only to be remembered by the white marble headstone among thousands.

"Stay where you are or you'll be sniped!" Freed yelled as gunfire rained down on them once more.

They were getting nowhere and now they were down a man. How long could they hold out? Slamming the button on his ear com, Gajeel tried to reach Erza with no luck; the tunnels were blocking the radio signals.

"What now, Commander? We're pinned down and we can't run anywhere! Our communications are down! We're gonna die here!" A Private, by the name of Connors, sunk lower to the ground, hands to his face. The man was afraid. Afraid he was going to die in this stench-filled cave with no hope of escape or rescue. Afraid he would never go home to his family. Afraid of the war he had been dragged into. Gajeel watched as the man cried, holding the cross dangling from his neck tightly and murmuring prayers.

Then it hit him; _Gajeel was afraid as well_. He could see why he should be, but it just never sunk in. He was always ready for a fight, no matter what the challenge was. But now, now that it came down to this, he truly felt _afraid_.

"Gajeel, figure something out before we _all_ die in here! If that sniper doesn't get us, no ammo will!" Freed yelled over gunfire, another bullet almost grazing his head.

'The fuck am I supposed to do…?' Gajeel thought as he looked at his shaking hands, realizing the full situation that was taking place. He clenched his fists hard, grinded his teeth together. He knew what he had to do.

He had to protect his family and get back the love of his life.

 **Yay another chapter done! I'll post it when I have time, I've been working a lot so there hasn't been much free time. See you next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm back! I've been kinda slow with the chapters lately, but they may slow down even more due to working so much. I'll try my best!**

 ***I'm so sorry for being gone so long! I've lost both my Aunt and Mother-in-law a month apart due to cancer last year and I've had zero motivation to write. It's been a slow healing process and I'm ready to write once more! Thanks for your patience!***

Natsu and Levy hit heavy resistance as they weaved through the ghost town, bullets whirling past them.

"Natsu, throw a smoke screen! We'll run around the outer edge of their perimeter and ambush them!" Levy shouted over the thundering machine guns, chunks of concrete flying over their heads. They barely had time to find cover before the enemy appeared with heavy duty machine guns. Natsu yanked a small canister from his pouch and ripped the ring out before tossing it over the small wall. Within seconds it erupted, hissing as a thick fog spewed in every direction.

"Move!" Natsu shouted as he grabbed her hand, yanking her from cover as they ran through a small neighborhood, weaving in between abandoned houses. They were almost cleared when an enemy launched out of the shadows, tackling Levy to the ground and throwing Natsu aside.

"Levy, duck!" Levy flattened herself to the ground as Natsu shot the enemy, killing him instantly. He checked the area once more before helping her up. "You alright?"

"Yeah, let's keep moving. Can you call in air support for the area? We don't have a way past their defences." Natsu thought for a moment before calling in the strike on his com.

" _Tango Delta Charlie Bravo 1-49-6-17, requesting air support! Bomb the shit out of them!"_

" _Negative, friendlies in the area. On your own, Sergeant. Over and out."_ The command center responded, denying the air support. Natsu furrowed his brows and tried again, receiving the same response.

" _Where the hell are the friendlies at then?! It's just me and McGarden down here in the center of this damn town! We're surrounded on all sides!"_ There was a silence for a few minutes before the com gave off static, a new voice coming through.

" _Sorry to ruin the party, Natsu, but it looked like you needed help."_

Natsu looked around, confused by the voice.

" _Gray? Where the hell have you been?"_ Gray laughed over the ear com.

" _Been busy with secret stuff, a mission your tiny little flame brain couldn't comprehend!"_ The two began arguing, calling each other names and acting childish. Levy went over to Natsu and ripped the com from his ear, earning a glare in the process.

" _Gray, what's your location? Merge to our location in approximately .5 Mikes. Our ETA is about 10. Over and out."_ Levy tossed the com back to Natsu before trudging ahead, determined to get out of the danger zone. Natsu ended the conversation quickly with Gray before jogging to catch up to Levy, rifle at the ready.

"Aren't you a little bossy today? It's good to have you back, Bookworm." Natsu snickered as Levy swatted her hands at him. She had always hated that nickname and Natsu was known for always pushing her buttons.

"Shut it, _Salamander_." Levy shot back, silencing her friend. The two moved forward, making their way to the next zone. There was some resistance but nothing they couldn't handle. As they reached the end of the neighborhood, figures suddenly emerged from the darkness, lights flashing. Natsu held up his fist and Levy stopped and crouched, the action causing her old injury to flair up.

"Natsu, Levy, you guys alright?" Gray called from the darkness.

"Yeah, we're good. Clean kills?"

"Tch, of course, flame brain. I never miss a target,"

"Oi, you tryin' to start something? I'll kick yer ass!" Natsu retorted, tensions rising between the two.

"Knock it _off_ , both of you. You're like children!" Levy rubbed her face, a headache beginning to form. As she stood, pain erupted in her leg, causing her to stumble and fall backwards. Natsu and Gray stopped fighting instantly, rushing to help her up.

"You alright, Levy? What'd you do to your leg?" Gray asked as he grabbed one arm, Natsu on the other, and pulled her up. Natsu kept an arm around her for support.

"I broke my leg months ago and I fell before it healed and misaligned it. Hurts every now and then though, or when I move wrong," Levy winced as her leg throbbed painfully.

"You shouldn't be fighting, you need to get that leg fixed." Elfman emerged from the darkness, pulling his mask up as he did. A few others emerged as well, checking the area. Gray and Elfman were the familiar faces, but the others Levy hadn't seen before.

"I _need_ to take out Hatchi first. They can always fix my leg later," Levy retorted, slowing stretching out her leg.

"It's gonna get you killed if you _don't_ get off the battlefield. I'm sure Gramps would have some choice words for you if he knew," Gray teased, easily dodging Levy's tiny fist.

A loud explosion from behind sent them scurrying for cover, debris raining down over them. Natsu listened in on the radio, responding often. Another explosion hit; this one was a lot closer.

" _Tango Delta Charlie Bravo 1-49-6-17, we're being bombed down here! Find the target and take em out!"_ Natsu yelled into the com, shielding his face from yet more debris.

" _10-4, Tango Delta Charlie Bravo, locking in on your location now. Just a minute… target locked, firing now. Danger close."_ Natsu heard the gunfire over the radio and turned to the sky, watching as bullets rained down from the clouds. A loud explosion sent an aftershock that knocked some of the soldiers over, dust clouding up.

Levy stumbled slightly but regained her balance quickly. One of the younger men, just a Private, stuck his head over the barricade, squinting through the cloud of dust.

"Look's all clear, Sergeant Fullbuster. We should be-" A gunshot rang out and the soldier slumped forward, blood trickling down his face.

"Sniper! Keep your heads _down_!" Gray shouted as a bullet zipped past his head, taking a chunk of black locks with it. Natsu and Levy ducked behind an old, abandoned car, bullets bouncing off of the rusted metal.

"This won't hold as protection, we need to find something more solid." Natsu fired rounds through the busted out window frame, firing in the enemy's general direction. The rain of bullets slowed slightly but still laid heavy on them. Levy craned her neck to see where the sniper was coming from; a spark of light flashed from the roof of an old two-story home. The bullet bounced off the hood of the car, sending Levy ducking back down for cover.

If she could just set up somewhere she'd be able to take him out, but the only high enough place was an treehouse sitting on a front lawn. The thing was so worn down it looked like it was barely staying up. Levy contemplated her other options before deciding; that was their best choice at this point.

"Cover me, I'm moving to the treehouse!" Levy blurted out before slinging her rifle over her shoulder and making a run for it. Natsu did a double take as let out a string of curse words.

"Damnit, Levy! Gray, covering fire, focus on the sniper!"

"Already on it, flamebrain!" Gray retorted, empty shells spewing from his rifle.

Levy felt her foot drag slightly against the ground as she ran, static coursing through her bad leg. The ground surrounding her exploded as bullets rained down, some narrowly missing the bluenette.

'Just a few more... feet!' Levy's arm stretched out for a step nailed into the tree when she heard a _whoosh_ followed by searing hot pain in her right shoulder.

" **Arghh**! God damn fucking _son of a bitch_!" The bluenette screamed as blood poured from her wound staining her clothes a deep crimson.

"Levy, how bad is it? Can you still shoot?" Natsu shouted from 20 feet away, still hiding behind cover.

"Not accurately! I'll have to -nnng- wing it!" Levy panted heavily as her body shook, shocked by the sudden assault. Her vision swirled as she stumbled away from the tree, tripping over an old rusted out grill just behind the house. Her eyes closed as the ground came closer, waiting for the impact. But it never came.

Levy bleakly opened her eyes to see spiky white hair.

"Nice catch, Elfman…"

"Been practicing," Elfman grinned down at her before laying her on her side, using his jacket as a makeshift pillow. He quickly stuffed a cork in her mouth before pulling a small flask out. "Bite the cork on three...one...two…" The alcohol hit before he finished, a muffled scream erupting from the bluenette.

"Wouldn't hurt if you didn't get shot," Elfman muttered quietly as he snapped a thread with his teeth. He gave Levy a quick slap on the face to ensure she was still conscious before sinking pliers into her flesh.

Levy was in too much pain to notice the tool bobbing in and out of her skin. Her head was throbbing like a bad hangover that never cured. The battlefield around her seemed muted; the gunshots sounded like soft puffs of air while shouts were drowned out completely. Elfman's voice faded in and out but she could never fully understand what he was saying. A soft _puff_ went off and Levy lolled her head towards the sound. It was almost slow motion watching the bullets rain down from the sky, bright balls of light shooting towards the ground. Her head rolled back to look at Elfman who now had a look of panic etched into his skin.

"Levy, can you hear me? Hey, Levy!" Elfman shined a light into her eyes but they lazily followed the movement. "Shit, you're going into shock! Stay focused a little while longer! We have to-!"

"Elfman, MOVE!" Natsu shouted as the remaining team members came screaming around the corner of the house. Gray packed up the medkit while Elfman tried to gently pick up his patient.

"No time, danger close fire!" Natsu shoved him aside and roughly picked of the bluenette. She responded to the movement by groaning loudly, tears trailing down through the dirt on her cheeks. A loud ringing filled her ears as everyone ran for cover; a few men covered the rear while Gray and Elfman took the lead, Natsu following close behind. The ground around them shredded as the aircraft bullets slammed into the ground, destroying everything in its path.

Levy could faintly hear Natsu screaming over his com about danger close, but the ringing soon drowned out the conversation. As the group weaved through the abandoned neighborhood, they met little resistance; any enemy that appeared was swiftly taken care of by Gray and Elfman. Natsu relied on the squad to cover him while he carried a barely conscious Levy in his arms, her body limp.

" _Tango Delta Charlie Bravo Foxtrot, danger close, danger close! Cease fire, cease fire!"_ Natsu yelled into his com to no avail; static filled his ear and drowned out his orders.

"Gray, is your com working? Mine's down!" Gray glanced over his shoulder and shook his head. Elfman checked his and let out a string of curse words. "Damnit, why is nothing getting through? They're going to kill us at this rate!"

" _That's because I've intercepted your signal. This won't take long, I just have a suggestion for you."_ A deep voice urged in Natsu's ear, startling the young man. The group finally took a breather in an abandoned barn, securing any openings. Natsu gently set Levy down, allowing Elfman to take back over in her aid.

"Who the fuck is this? You don't sound familiar,"

" _Believe me, I'm on your side; I'm on a special mission from Makarov. I don't have much time, but there's a cavern you need to access. Erza's team is pinned down and there's not much time before they're overrun. From there I'll direct you how to get to Hatchi's main office, but for now head to these coordinates and save your friends. Best of luck, Natsu. Over and out."_

Natsu heard the com click back over to the main station, urgent calls coming over. He replied swiftly, calling off the air strike and sending the coordinates to the radioman. Letting out a heavy sigh, the pink haired soldier made his way over to Levy. Her body was pale and slicked with sweat as Elfman finished sewing her up, splashing a bit more alcohol over the wound.

"She 'bout went into full shock, we're lucky she didn't otherwise EVAC would've had to come haul her off." Elfman muttered as he cleaned up the bloody gauze pads, dark eyes glancing up at Natsu. Nodding in reply, Natsu wiped azure locks from Levy's drenched face. There was no way he was allowing her to continue on with the mission in her current state. He knew she'd be pissed when she awoke, but it was for her own good.

"Can you call EVAC to get her? There's no way she can still fight like this," Natsu asked quietly, glancing at the others to make sure they weren't listening. Elfman pursed his lips in thought.

"I'm not sure if they can get in without being shot down. If they're firing from above they won't send anyone in. I'll attempt to-."

"I'll kill you...if you...do…" Levy rasped as she struggled to sit up, her hand resting over her shoulder. With a grunt she sat up, heaving for air at the movement.

"Levy, you're too injured to fight right now. I'm not letting you back into the battle zone when you can barely even sit up!" Natsu tried to push her back down but Levy slapped his hand away, hazel eyes afire.

"I've gone months with two broken bones, fighting infection _and_ freezing cold while fending off random search parties; _I can fucking fight, Natsu._ If you keep me from killing Hatchi, I will not hesitate to kick your ass back home." Levy snapped at her long time friend, her fighting spirit rekindling.

Natsu opened his mouth to retort when his com went off. He shot her a dirty look before walking away to answer the call, leaving her with Elfman. Levy huffed out a sigh as she focused her gaze on the straw beneath her. It was silent for a few moments before Elfman cleared his throat, catching her attention.

"Lev, I understand your reasoning for wanting to kill Hatchi, but your health is what's important right now. You've got yer bum leg and now a fucked up shoulder; you ain't goin' back into battle." Levy started to protest but the massive man before her silenced her with a hand. "You ain't goin' back into battle without a carrier. I can make a makeshift one and carry you on my back. If you support my 6, I'll get you to the meeting point safe and sound, okay?"

"Elfman," Levy looked up at him with tears in her eyes. He had always been like an older brother to her, always there when she needed someone. "But what about Natsu? He won't allow this…"

"Nah, he'd never let you get hurt, but we also can't get EVAC at the moment, so you're just stuck with us." Elfman let out a loud laugh and Levy's smile stretched ear to ear. Natsu walked back over with a grin on his face.

"Lev, someone wants to talk to you. He says it's _super important_ ," Natsu made quotes with his fingers before tossing the small earpiece to her. Levy shared a puzzled look with Elfman before fitting it against her ear and pressing the small button.

"H-Hello…?" There was nothing but silence for a few moments. Then, the voice came through.

" _Levy….holy shit yer alive…."_ Gajeel rasped through the com, his voice unbelieving. Gunfire could be heard in the background, but the only sound that reached the bluenette was Gajeel's voice. Her eyes widened and she looked at Natsu who tilted his head and gave her a toothy grin. He flapped his hands at her to continue before dragging Elfman to the other side of the barn to regroup.

"Gajeel," Levy breathed; her heart was pounding painfully against her chest. Was it really him? She hadn't seen him in _months_ , not since she caught him with his ex in the barracks. There was more gunfire and Gajeel yelled orders in the background before refocusing on the com.

" _Jesus, Levy, you alright? Where the_ _ **fuck**_ _have you been for the past 3 months?! I swear to god I will slap some damn sense into ya! Damnit, Erza, find a way to get past him! For fucks sake, you can even drive the god damned bulldozer for all I care, just do_ _ **something**_ _!"_

Levy couldn't help the tears as they spilled from her eyes, her chest racking with sobs. She placed a hand over her mouth to quell them, but Gajeel heard them through the com.

" _Oi, don't start cryin' now! You've still got yer mission to do! If you get all soft now, I'll burn every damn book in yer office."_ Levy let out a choked laugh at his threat; she knew it was his way of trying to cheer her up.

"A-alright, alright, I'll stop. It's just….good to hear your voice again, Gajeel….and if you burn my books, I'll skin you alive."

" _Gihee, good luck with that, Shrimp. Like you could ever-"_ A loud explosion cut Gajeel off, silencing the com connection. Levy removed the small radio from her ear, resting in her palm as a finger slightly traced over its design. Natsu noticed and came back over, brows furrowed.

"We should get moving if we're going to swoop in and save their sorry asses," Natsu held out a hand to her, signature toothy grin on his dirty face. Levy clenched the com tightly as she took the hand, grunting as her shoulder tugged.

"Mmm, then it's Hatchi that's next; He will be my biggest kill and the hardest challenge yet, but I'm ready to put an end to his rein. Let's move out!"

Gajeel cursed as the loud explosion cut the com signal, cutting him off from Levy. He could hardly believe it was _her_ on the other end; for three long months, three _agonizing_ months of not knowing if she was alive or not, and he had _finally_ heard her voice. The Commander wanted to dance around in excitement, but the middle of a warzone was a bad place to do so. A bullet whizzed by his head, snapping him back to the battle. All of the ground forces had been wiped out, but there was still the matter of the sniper perched high above them, easily picking off anyone in his sight.

"Gajeel, it looks like there's a path leading up that way to where the sniper is positioned. Draw his attention and the Thunder Legion will do the rest." Bixlow appeared next to Gajeel momentarily to deliver his message before vanishing once more without a trace. Taking a mental note to never get on their bad side, Gajeel began creating a diversion.

"You two, move to that machine over there, try to get it started and give 'em hell! Everyone else, supporting fire!" The team split up and Gajeel ran as fast as he could to cover his men. Privates O'Brien and Tallard worked quickly to start one of the large bulldozers parked inside the cavern. O'Brien keeping lookout while Tallard climbed inside the cab and began searching for the keys. When that proved fruitless, the Private sliced the various cables and began hotwiring the machine.

Gunfire rained down from above, the bullets bouncing off of the bright yellow metal, some cracking the windshield. With a final spark, the machine roared to life, black fumes blasting from the exhaust pipes.

"Alriiiight, let's get this show on the road! Let's ram this bastard from his high perch!" The black haired Private hollered as he slammed the machine into gear, bouncing in the seat as the bulldozer sped across the dirt, tracks spinning. Bullets continued to strike at the now moving target, the metal refracting the shards with ease. A few strays hit the glass causing it to spiderweb across the center of the windshield, blocking Tallard's view.

"Center her out, aim for that wall straight ahead where his gun is. Lift the bucket up to 45 degrees and slightly down to get a good slam into the wall. Brace for impact!" O'Brien cackled as the two closed the gap on the wall the sniper was perched on top of.

Gajeel watched anxiously as the two men distracted the sniper, his red eyes darting to the Thunder Legion as they swiftly made their way towards the sniper. A loud _crash_ caused the Commander to turn his head towards the bulldozer as it smashed into the rock wall. The impact caused the sniper to stumble forward, his sniper rifle tumbling down the cliff without him. The man hung on for dear life with one hand, his legs dangling loosely over the edge; the Thunder Legion struck.

Bixlow launched himself at the man, pinning his hand to the rock with a knife while Freed kept his rifle pointed at his head. Laxus secured the area quickly, disarming any traps that were hidden around. After clearing the area, he signaled to Gajeel by whistling and flashing his light twice. Returning the gesture, Gajeel stood from behind his cover and stretched; it had been an intense firefight, against one man oddly enough, that went on far too long for the pierced man's liking. Tallard and O'Brien emerged from the bulldozer, whooping and high fiving, as they made their way back to their Commander.

"Shit, you see that, Gajeel? Most fun we've had in awhile!" Gajeel couldn't help but laugh at his underlings acting so carefree.

"Gihee, gotta admit, that was impressive for two youngins. Couldn't have done better than that,"

"Ehh, that was nothin'! I could've done that with my eyes closed, Iron Breath!"

Gajeel whipped his head to the far corner of the cavern, a familiar voice echoing against the walls. After a few moments, a flash of pink hair emerged from the shadows, a toothy grin on Natsu's face. Gray and Elfman followed shortly after, guns at the ready, while the remaining platoon followed close behind.

"At least I don't fuck up everything I do, _Flame Brain!_ " Gajeel retorted with snicker. Natsu was in his face a second later, head butting against his.

" _Ehh? Did you say something, Iron Breath?"_

" _Yeah, Salamander, I called you a fucking idiot!"_

"Are you two _really_ going to start arguing off the bat? We have more important things to do," Levy's voice stopped the bickering and Gajeel shoved Natsu aside, searching for the source of the voice.

"Levy? I hear you but…." Elfman suddenly stooped to the ground and untied the fabric wrapped around his shoulders and waist. After a moment of shuffling, azure locks poked around the massive soldier, a tired grin on her face.

"I shouldn't be surprised that you two are already going at it. I've missed it," Levy let out a choked laugh as tears fell down her face, her hands shakily wiping them away. Her legs gave out and she fell to the dirt floor, hands covering her face as she released the emotions that had been pent up for so long. By now, the others had begun to gather, eyes wide as they took in their comrade that had been MIA for so long.

Gajeel felt his rifle drop to the ground as he took a few steps towards her, hands shaking. She was _here_ , sitting in front of him. For _three whole months_ , he wondered if she was lying dead somewhere in the middle of an abandoned city. Yet her she was, just a few short feet away from him, alive. His boots dragged against the dirt as he stumbled towards her, red eyes wide. A foot away from the sobbing bluenette, Gajeel dropped to his knees and stared at her.

"Yer real, right? This ain't no dream, is it? Shrimp, is it _really_ you?" Levy looked up at him with red, tear filled eyes, and gave him a watery smile.

"Mm, I'm really here, Gajeel. It's been so hard trying to survive-."

Levy was cut off as she was pulled against a hard chest, strong arms wrapping around her and holding her tight. Her face was pressed into a mane of wild black hair and the comforting smell of iron wafted against her nose. Tears overflowed once more as she pressed herself harder against Gajeel, sobbing into his shoulder as he held her tight. His breath hitched against the crook of her neck and she startled a bit; Gajeel was known for being a hardass and emotionless, but _crying_?

"For three months…. _three long months_ ….I thought you were dead….Jesus, Levy, I thought I'd never see you again…."

"I'm sorry I worried you….I won't do it again…."

Gajeel laughed against her before pulling back, moving a hand to rest against her face. Levy leaned into it and placed her smaller hand over his, basking in the familiarity. At that moment, it was just them sitting in the middle of a cavern, everything else around them tuned out. Opening her eyes, Levy stared up at Gajeel, her heart clenching tightly as they locked eyes. There were a few stray tears trailing down his face as he tried to hold his emotions back. Reaching up, the bluenette gently wiped them away with her thumb, never breaking eye contact.

"Lev, I-" The moment was broken as the sound of a generator turned on, rumbling loudly throughout the cavern. Everyone slammed their hands over their ears as the noise became deafening. Static filled their coms as the noise continued to roar, some soldiers throwing the ear pieces to the ground.

A large section of the wall began to tear open, shaking the ground as it did. Inch by inch it opened to reveal a large elevator shaft slowly lowering from above. The Thunder Legion had rejoined the group, dragging the pleading sniper behind them. Erza shot the man a look that instantly silenced him as she approached.

"You're going to tell us where the elevator leads and you're going to do it _now._ Try anything funny and I will _castrate_ you right here and now, understood?" The captured man quickly nodded, his neck nearly snapping from the speed.

"H-Hatchi is just up the elevator and down the hallway, it's where his office is located! It's rather heavily guarded with motion sensors along the hallway and guards every 10 feet! His office alone has a small team of elite soldiers that have suicide vests if the outer defenses fail. Y-you'd have to be stupid to go through there without heavy armor." Erza mulled every word over carefully, a plan forming in her mind.

"Hmm, then we'll just have to force our way in, won't we?" The sniper shrank back as Erza's eyes gleamed dangerously down at him. Standing before him was a truly terrifying monster and for the first time, the man saw the true face of Satan herself and prayed his death would be swift.

 **Yay chapter 6 is done! I kinda struggled with it at first, but as I get more into it, it flows better. I got off work early tonight due to a bad migraine so I'll start on 7 right away! Thanks for reading!**


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